Lowell (lunar crater)

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Lowell
Lowell lunar crater.png
Coordinates 12°54′S103°06′W / 12.9°S 103.1°W / -12.9; -103.1 Coordinates: 12°54′S103°06′W / 12.9°S 103.1°W / -12.9; -103.1
Diameter 66 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 104° at sunrise
Eponym Percival Lowell
Oblique view from Lunar Orbiter 5 while the crater was at the terminator Lowell crater 5015 h1.jpg
Oblique view from Lunar Orbiter 5 while the crater was at the terminator

Lowell is a lunar impact crater that lies just beyond the western limb of the Moon. It is embedded within the northwestern part of the Montes Rook mountain ring of the Mare Orientale impact basin. This portion of the Moon's far side is sometimes brought into view of the Earth during periods of favorable libration and lighting, although it is only seen from the edge.

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.

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.

The crater is circular in outline, with a well-defined edge. A small crater lies along the edge of the eastern rim. The inner wall is wider along the western side, and there are some terrace structures. In the middle of the crater is a central peak on the interior floor.

Satellite craters

Lowell crater & satellite crater Lowell lunar crater & satellite crater.png
Lowell crater & satellite crater

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Lowell.

LowellLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
W10.0° S107.0° W18 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.