Koch (crater)

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Koch
Normal koch.jpg
LRO image
Coordinates 42°48′S150°06′E / 42.8°S 150.1°E / -42.8; 150.1 Coordinates: 42°48′S150°06′E / 42.8°S 150.1°E / -42.8; 150.1
Diameter 95 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 211° at sunrise
Eponym Robert Koch
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 2 view, facing south Koch crater 2075 med.jpg
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 2 view, facing south

Koch is a crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies in the southern hemisphere, to the south-southeast of the walled plain Jules Verne. Attached to the northeastern rim of Koch by a neck of uneven terrain is the crater Lundmark. Less than one crater diameter to the south of Koch is Crocco.

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.

Jules Verne (crater) lunar crater

Jules Verne is a large lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon, named after the French author. It is located to the west-southwest of the Mare Ingenii, one of the few lunar mares on the far side. To the southeast of Jules Verne is the crater Lundmark, while Koch is located to the south-southeast. To the northwest is the large walled plain Pavlov.

This crater has a worn and eroded outer rim. Several small craters lie along the outer rim, particularly along the northern edge. Attached to the western side is the satellite crater Koch U. The interior floor is also marked by some small craters, with a pair located just to the north of the midpoint and another along the southern inner wall.

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 Koch.

KochLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
R44.5° S146.3° E20 km
U42.3° S147.4° E25 km

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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.