Heis (crater)

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Heis
Heis crater 4139 h1.jpg
Coordinates 32°24′N31°54′W / 32.4°N 31.9°W / 32.4; -31.9 Coordinates: 32°24′N31°54′W / 32.4°N 31.9°W / 32.4; -31.9
Diameter 14 km
Depth 0.7 km
Colongitude 32° at sunrise
Eponym Eduard Heis
Obilique Apollo 15 panoramic camera image Heis crater AS15-P-10286.jpg
Obilique Apollo 15 panoramic camera image

Heis is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the western part of the Mare Imbrium. It was named after German astronomer Eduard Heis. [1] It is located to the northeast of the crater Delisle, and south of C. Herschel. Due east is the wrinkle ridge Dorsum Heim. Heis is a circular, symmetrical formation with an interior floor that is about half the diameter of the outer rim. The tiny satellite crater Heis A intrudes slightly into the northern rim.

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.

Mare Imbrium Vast lunar mare filling a basin on Earths Moon

Mare Imbrium is a vast lava plain within the Imbrium Basin on the Moon and is one of the larger craters in the Solar System. The Imbrium Basin formed from the collision of a proto-planet during the Late Heavy Bombardment. Basaltic lava later flooded the giant crater to form the flat volcanic plain seen today. The basin's age has been estimated using uranium–lead dating methods to 3938 ± 4 million years ago, the diameter of the impactor has been estimated to be 250 ± 25 km. The Moon's maria have fewer features than other areas of the Moon because molten lava pooled in the craters and formed a relatively smooth surface. Mare Imbrium is not as flat as it was originally because later events have altered its surface.

Satellite craters

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

HeisLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A32.7° N31.9° W6 km
D31.7° N31.1° W8 km

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References

  1. "Heis (crater)" . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
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.