LRO WAC image | |
Coordinates | 1°48′N108°00′W / 1.8°N 108.0°W Coordinates: 1°48′N108°00′W / 1.8°N 108.0°W |
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Diameter | 49 km |
Depth | Unknown |
Colongitude | 108° at sunrise |
Eponym | Armin O. Leuschner |
Leuschner is a lunar impact crater that is located on the Moon's far side, to the northwest of the Montes Cordillera. It lies to the north of the crater Grachev, in the outer skirt of ejecta surrounding the Mare Orientale impact basin. This is a circular crater with a rim that has only been lightly eroded by subsequent impacts. Within the interior floor is a central ridge formation.
Lunar craters are impact craters on Earth's Moon. The Moon's surface has many craters, almost all of which were formed by impacts.
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.
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.
The Catena Leuschner is a crater chain formation that begins at the northern outer rim of Leuschner and runs to the northwest towards the crater Kolhörster. This feature is radial to the Mare Orientale impact, and was likely caused by larger chunks of ejecta during the formation of that feature.
Kolhörster is a lunar impact crater that is located on the moon's far side. It lies about a crater-diameter to the south-southeast of the crater Kamerlingh Onnes, and to the northeast of the crater Michelson. To the south of Kolhörster is an area marked with crater chains formed from secondary impacts during the creation of the Mare Imbrium impact basin. About one crater-diameter to the southeast is the Catena Leuschner crater chain, while further to the south is Catena Michelson.
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Leuschner.
Leuschner | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
L | 1.1° S | 108.8° W | 18 km |
Z | 5.3° N | 109.3° W | 18 km |
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.
Atwood is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the Mare Fecunditatis, to the northwest of the prominent crater Langrenus. It forms a triple-crater formation with Naonobu attached to the north rim and Bilharz near the west rim.
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.
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.
Lagrange is a lunar impact crater that is attached to the northwestern rim of the crater Piazzi. It lies near the southwestern limb of the Moon, and the appearance is oblong due to foreshortening. To the northwest of this feature is the Montes Cordillera, a ring-shaped mountain range that surrounds the immense Mare Orientale impact basin.
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.
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 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.
Hartwig is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon. It is attached to the eastern rim of the prominent crater Schlüter, to the northeast of the Montes Cordillera mountain range that surrounds the Mare Orientale. To the east-northeast of Hartwig is the larger crater Riccioli.
Piazzi is an impact crater that is located near the southwestern limb of the Moon, and is attached to the southeastern rim of the walled plain Lagrange. About three crater diameters to the south is the crater Inghirami. Piazzi is seen at an oblique angle from the Earth, and it appears oblong due to foreshortening.
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.
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.
Elvey is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It is located near the northern edge of the blanket of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. To the north of Elvey is the smaller crater Nobel.
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 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.
Grachev is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the northwest of the Mare Orientale impact basin, in the outer skirt of ejecta surrounding the Montes Cordillera mountain ring. Passing along the southwestern edge of Grachev is the Catena Michelson, a valley-like formation composed of a linear chain of small craters. This feature is radial to the Mare Orientale basin. To the north is the crater Leuschner.
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.
Kearons is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, to the northwest of the Mare Orientale impact basin, in the outer skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Montes Cordillera range. It is a relatively isolated crater, possibly because any nearby features have been buried under the ejecta. Some distance to the south is the crater Lewis, and to the north-northeast lies Grachev.
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.
Lewis is a crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies along the western edge of the Montes Cordillera mountains that surround the Mare Orientale impact basin. This crater has been heavily disrupted by the formation of the basin, and it is covered by ejecta from the impact leaving only an uneven depression in the surface. The outer rim is roughly circular, and the interior is uneven.
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.
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.
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.