Heron (crater)

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Heron
Normal heron LROC.jpg
LRO image
Coordinates 0°42′N119°48′E / 0.7°N 119.8°E / 0.7; 119.8 Coordinates: 0°42′N119°48′E / 0.7°N 119.8°E / 0.7; 119.8
Diameter 28 km
Depth 0.6 km
Colongitude 241° at sunrise
Eponym Hero of Alexandria
Apollo 16 image Heron crater AS16-M-0079.jpg
Apollo 16 image

Heron is a small lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, less than 20 kilometers from the equator. It lies between the slightly larger crater Ctesibius just to the west and Soddy a little farther to the east. Almost directly to the north is the prominent crater King.

Contents

This formation is an undistinguished, circular crater. The interior floor is relatively flat and featureless. There is a tiny craterlet along the eastern rim that has a slightly higher albedo than the remainder of the crater.

This crater is also called Hero in some references. It was named after 1st century BC Egyptian inventor Heron (or Hero) of Alexandria. [1]

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 Heron.

HeronLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
H0.2° N120.7° E20 km
Y1.4° N119.7° E15 km

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References

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