Heinsius (crater)

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Heinsius
HeinsiusCrater.jpg
LRO image
Coordinates 39°30′S17°42′W / 39.5°S 17.7°W / -39.5; -17.7 Coordinates: 39°30′S17°42′W / 39.5°S 17.7°W / -39.5; -17.7
Diameter 64 km
Depth 2.7 km
Colongitude 19° at sunrise
Eponym Gottfried Heinsius
Lunar Orbiter 4 image Heinsius crater 4124 h2.jpg
Lunar Orbiter 4 image

Heinsius is an eroded lunar impact crater that lies in the southwestern part of the Moon. It is named after German astronomer Gottfried Heinsius. [1] It is located to the northwest of the prominent crater Tycho, and rays from that formation pass to the north and south of Heinsius as well as marking the rim and interior with material. To the south-southwest of Heinsius is the larger walled plain Wilhelm.

Lunar craters

Lunar craters are impact craters on Earth's Moon. The Moon's surface has many craters, almost all of which were formed by impacts.

Impact crater Circular depression on a solid astronomical body formed by a hypervelocity impact of a smaller object

An impact crater is an approximately circular depression in the surface of a planet, moon, or other solid body in the Solar System or elsewhere, formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller body. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain. Impact craters range from small, simple, bowl-shaped depressions to large, complex, multi-ringed impact basins. Meteor Crater is a well-known example of a small impact crater on Earth.

Moon Earths natural satellite

Earth's Moon is an astronomical body that orbits the planet and acts as its only permanent natural satellite. It is the fifth-largest satellite in the Solar System, and the largest among planetary satellites relative to the size of the planet that it orbits. The Moon is, after Jupiter's satellite Io, the second-densest satellite in the Solar System among those whose densities are known.

The southern part of this crater has been heavily damaged by subsequent impacts. Both Heinsius B and Heinsius C lie across the southern and southwestern rim, while Heinsius A is located in the southern interior floor. Together these three satellite craters form a triangular arrangement with the rims only separated by a few kilometers from each other. If Heinsius possessed a central peak, it is now covered by the outer rampart of Heinsius A.

The northern half of the rim is in better shape, although still worn and rounded due to impact erosion. There is a wide shelf along the northeastern inner wall. A small craterlet lies exactly on the northwestern rim. The northern interior floor is relatively level and featureless.

Satellite craters

Sketch of Heinsius by James Dwight Dana. 1846-Dana-Heinius.gif
Sketch of Heinsius by James Dwight Dana.

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Heinsius.

HeinsiusLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A39.7° S17.6° W20 km
B40.0° S18.6° W23 km
C40.6° S17.9° W23 km
D38.8° S20.7° W7 km
E37.8° S19.5° W17 km
F40.5° S19.7° W7 km
G38.3° S14.5° W11 km
H37.4° S18.5° W8 km
J39.3° S20.4° W8 km
K38.5° S18.5° W5 km
L41.2° S18.4° W8 km
M40.9° S15.3° W14 km
N37.3° S14.7° W7 km
O38.8° S14.8° W5 km
P39.4° S13.8° W40 km
Q39.9° S14.5° W35 km
R40.2° S20.7° W5 km
S39.6° S16.9° W7 km
T39.7° S16.5° W7 km

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References

  1. "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | Heinsius". usgs.gov. International Astronomical Union . Retrieved September 8, 2017.
Ewen Whitaker British astronomer

Ewen Adair Whitaker was a British-born astronomer who specialized in lunar studies. During World War II he was engaged in quality control for the lead sheathing of hollow cables strung under the English Channel as part of the "Pipe Line Under The Ocean" Project (PLUTO) to supply gasoline to Allied military vehicles in France. After the war, he obtained a position at the Royal Greenwich Observatory working on the UV spectra of stars, but became interested in lunar studies. As a sideline, Whitaker drew and published the first accurate chart of the South Polar area of the Moon in 1954, and served as director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association.

NASA space-related agency of the United States government

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

Ben J. Bussey is an American planetary scientist.