Lamarck (crater)

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Lamarck
Lamarck crater 4168 h1.jpg
Coordinates 22°54′S69°48′W / 22.9°S 69.8°W / -22.9; -69.8 Coordinates: 22°54′S69°48′W / 22.9°S 69.8°W / -22.9; -69.8
Diameter 100 km
Depth 2.8 km
Colongitude 72° at sunrise
Eponym Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

Lamarck is a crater in the southwestern part of the Moon. The northern portion of the crater is overlain by the walled plain Darwin. To the southeast is Byrgius.

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.

Darwin (lunar crater) Lunar impact crater

Darwin is a lunar impact crater of the type categorised as a walled plain. It lies in the southeastern part of the Moon, and is sufficiently close to the limb to appear significantly foreshortened when viewed from the Earth. Attached to its southern rim is Lamarck. To the northeast is the dark-floored crater Crüger.

The outer wall of this formation has been heavily damaged by subsequent impacts, leaving a disintegrated rim that forms a low, irregular ridge in the surface. Parts of the crater are also overlain by ejecta from the Mare Orientale basin to the east. The most notable feature in the interior is the tiny, bowl-shaped impact crater Lamarck B. The remainder of the floor forms a rolling, uneven plain.

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.

Attached to the southwestern rim is Lamarck A, a large but equally disintegrated crater. Lamarck D is a huge formation that lies to the west of Lamarck A. However, this last feature is also worn to the point where it is barely recognizable as a crater.

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 Lamarck.

LamarckLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A25.2° S70.8° W51 km
B22.8° S69.7° W7 km
D25.0° S74.1° W131 km
E26.8° S75.7° W9 km
F27.0° S73.9° W9 km
G27.1° S72.1° W15 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.