Hohmann (crater)

Last updated
Hohmann
Hohmann crater WAC.jpg
LRO WAC image
Coordinates 17°54′S94°06′W / 17.9°S 94.1°W / -17.9; -94.1 Coordinates: 17°54′S94°06′W / 17.9°S 94.1°W / -17.9; -94.1
Diameter 16 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 266° at sunrise
Eponym Walter Hohmann
Lunar Orbiter 4 image Hohmann crater.png
Lunar Orbiter 4 image

Hohmann is a lunar impact crater that lies within the central basin of the Mare Orientale formation, on the farside of the Moon. It is located to the south of the crater Maunder, and to the west of Kopff crater. Due to its proximity to the western lunar limb, this area of the surface is occasionally visible during favorable librations. However the basin is viewed from the side, restricting the amount of detail that can be observed from Earth.

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 Orientale Lunar mare on the western border of the near side and far side of the Moon

Mare Orientale is a lunar mare. It is located on the western border of the near side and far side of the Moon, and is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective. Images from spacecraft have revealed it to be one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bullseye.

The rim of this crater is circular and only marginally worn, with a pair of tiny impacts overlaying the southern edge. An outer rampart slopes down to the surrounding surface, and the interior wall slopes down more sharply to the crater floor. There is a terrace along the southeastern interior wall. Portions of the surroundings show evidence of ejecta deposits from Maunder to the north (as shown by a number of secondary impacts). Some of this ejecta may have been deposited within the interior of Hohmann.

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 Hohmann.

HohmannLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
Q21.8° S98.1° W15 km

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

International Astronomical Union Association of professional astronomers

The International Astronomical Union is an international association of professional astronomers, at the PhD level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy. Among other activities, it acts as the internationally recognized authority for assigning designations and names to celestial bodies and any surface features on them.

Related Research Articles

Blackett (crater) lunar crater

Blackett is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, behind the southwest limb. It lies beyond the southeast outer ring of the immense Mare Orientale basin. The formation of that major feature has left Blackett deeply marked with ridge features trending from the northwest. Much of the crater has been shaped by the ejecta from Mare Orientale, particularly along the western half of the crater.

Cayley (crater) impact crater

Cayley is a small lunar impact crater that is located in a lava-flooded region to the west of Mare Tranquillitatis. It was named after the 19th century British mathematician Arthur Cayley. It lies to the northwest of the smaller crater De Morgan and the larger D'Arrest. West and slightly north of Cayley is Whewell, a crater of about the same dimensions. To the north is a linear rille designated Rima Ariadaeus, which follows a course to the east-southeast.

Drude (crater) lunar crater

Drude is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, in the rugged Montes Cordillera range that forms the outer ring around the Mare Orientale impact basin. It is located just behind the west-southwest limb, and this area is sometimes brought into sight from Earth during favorable librations. However, even at such times, the crater is viewed from the edge and little detail can be seen.

Maunder (lunar crater) impact crater

Maunder is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the western limb. This region is sometimes brought into view during favorable librations, but not much detail can be seen. The crater lies at the northern end of the Mare Orientale, within the ring of mountains named Montes Rook, and it is the largest crater on this lunar mare. To the southeast is the crater Kopff, and due south is the small Hohmann.

Chant (crater) lunar crater

Chant is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, behind the southwest limb as seen from the Earth. It lies within the southwestern part of the blanket of ejecta surrounding the Mare Orientale, beyond the Montes Cordillera mountain ring. To the west-northwest is the large walled plain Blackett. Southward is the crater Mendel.

Chadwick (crater) lunar crater

Chadwick is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon's surface, just beyond the southwestern limb. It is located to the northwest of the crater De Roy, and was previously designated De Roy X before being given its current name by the IAU. This region of the lunar surface lies at the southern end of the ejecta blanket that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin.

Couder (crater) lunar crater

Couder is a small lunar impact crater that is located just behind the western limb of the Moon, in a region of the surface that is brought into view during favorable librations. It lies on the inner foothills of the Montes Cordillera, a ring-shaped mountain range that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin.

Graff (lunar crater) lunar crater

Graff is a small lunar impact crater that lies along the southwestern limb of the Moon. It is located to the west of the Vallis Bouvard depression in the southern part of the ejecta blanket that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. To the south-southwest is the smaller crater Catalán.

Chalonge (crater) lunar crater

Chalonge is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the larger crater Lewis, in the outer skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. To the southeast are the Montes Cordillera, a ring of mountains that encircle the Mare Orientale formation.

Steklov (crater) lunar crater

Steklov is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon, past the southwestern limb. It lies in the outer skirt of ejecta from the Mare Orientale impact basin, just to the southwest of the Montes Cordillera ring of mountains. About four crater diameters to the southwest is the slightly smaller crater Chant.

Ellerman (crater) lunar crater

Ellerman is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies within the outer blanket of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin, and is located to the west of the Montes Cordillera mountain range. To the northwest of Ellerman is the larger crater Gerasimovich.

Fényi (crater) lunar crater

Fényi is a small lunar crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies near the southern edge of the huge, braided skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Orientale impact Basin to the north. Less than two crater diameters to the southwest is the much larger crater Mendel.

Fersman (crater) lunar crater

Fersman is a large lunar impact crater on the Moon's far side. It lies to the east of the crater Poynting, and west-northwest of Weyl. To the south is the huge walled plain Hertzsprung.

Fowler (crater) impact crater

Fowler is a large lunar impact crater that lies in the northern hemisphere on the Moon's far side. It lies to the south-southwest of the crater Esnault-Pelterie, and north of Gadomski. Overlying the eastern rim and intruding into the interior is Von Zeipel.

Fridman (crater) lunar crater

Fridman is the remains of a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies due south of the huge walled plain Hertzsprung, and is attached to the northeastern rim of the crater Ioffe.

Gerasimovich (crater) lunar crater

Gerasimovich is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies beyond the western limb, to the west-northwest of the immense Mare Orientale impact basin. The outer blanket of ejecta from this impact reaches nearly to the rim of Gerasimovich. Nearby craters of note include Houzeau to the north and the smaller Ellerman to the southeast.

Guthnick (crater) lunar crater

Guthnick is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon's surface from the Earth. However, it is located in the part of the far side that is sometimes brought into sight of the Earth due to libration, although it can only be seen at a low angle and during favorable lighting conditions. Guthnick is situated in the southern portion of the huge skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. Less than a crater diameter to the northwest is the slightly larger crater Rydberg. To the south-southwest is the small Andersson.

Heyrovsky (crater) lunar crater

Heyrovsky is a small lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. This crater lies just beyond the southwestern limb, in an area of the surface that is sometimes brought into view of the Earth during periods of favorable libration and illumination by sunlight. It lies within the southern part of the wide skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Imbrium impact basin.

Stetson (crater) lunar crater

Stetson is the remains of a crater on the far side of the Moon. The northeastern part of the rim of Stetson has been overlain by the larger crater Blackett. Lying across the eastern rim is a double-crater formation consisting of the satellites Stetson E and Stetson G. There are also small craters along the southeast and northwestern rims.

Tsander (crater) lunar crater

Tsander is a large lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. Attached to the southeastern outer rim is the younger crater Kibal'chich. To the northwest lies Dirichlet, and to the northeast lies Artem'ev.

References

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.

United States Geological Survey Scientific agency of the United States government

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The USGS is a fact-finding research organization with no regulatory responsibility.