Coordinates | 80°48′N10°06′E / 80.8°N 10.1°E |
---|---|
Diameter | 46 km |
Depth | 2.8 km |
Colongitude | 354° at sunrise |
Eponym | Robert Main |
Main is a lunar impact crater that is located near the north pole of the Moon. The southern rim of this formation has merged with the larger crater Challis to the south, and the level interior floor connects the two craters through a narrower gap. To the north-northwest of Main is Gioja.
This formation consists of three overlapping craters that were joined together when the interior floor was resurfaced by lava flows, leaving a generally circular formation with outward bulges to the west and northeast. The same lava has joined the floor of Main with Challis to the south.
The surviving rim of Main is a low slope that is nearly level with the surrounding terrain at its top. There is a small crater lying across the eastern rim that is roughly bowl-shaped and missing its western rim. The floor of Main is nearly level, and marked by a number of tiny craterlets that lie nearly in a band across the floor from the southwest towards the northeast. There is no central peak within the crater, and no other hills of note.
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Main.
Main | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
L | 81.7° N | 23.2° E | 14 km |
N | 82.3° N | 22.0° E | 11 km |
Byrd is an irregular lunar impact crater that is located near the north pole of the Moon. The north rim of Byrd is nearly connected to the crater Peary, a formation that is adjacent to the pole. The smaller crater Gioja is attached to the remains of the southwest rim.
Bilharz is a lunar impact crater that lies in the eastern part of the Mare Fecunditatis. It is the largest member of a close triple-crater formation with Atwood to the east and Naonobu to the northeast. To the southeast is the crater Langrenus.
Belʹkovich is a large lunar impact crater of the form termed a walled plain. The formation has been heavily eroded by a history of subsequent impacts, leaving it reshaped, worn, and the features softened and rounded. Belʹkovich is located along the northeastern limb of the Moon, and so its visibility is subject to libration effects. From the Earth this crater is viewed from the side, making it difficult to view it in detail.
Chamberlin is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, just past the southeastern limb. It lies to the southeast of the crater Jeans, and Moulton is attached to the southeastern rim of Chamberlin. This crater is located in a part of the lunar surface that has undergone resurfacing of crater interiors, producing dark-hued crater floors.
Bowditch is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the eastern limb. It is located on a region of the lunar surface that is brought into view due to libration, but at such times the area is viewed from the edge and so not much detail can be observed. It lies just to the north of the small Lacus Solitudinis lunar mare, between the craters Titius to the southwest and Perel'man to the east-northeast.
Gioia is a lunar impact crater that is located in the vicinity of the north pole of the Moon. It is named after the alleged Italian inventor of compass Flavio Gioia. As it lies so close to the northern limb, it is viewed nearly from the edge making difficult to observe from the Earth. The crater is attached to the southern rim of the larger Byrd, a formation with low walls. To the south-southeast is the crater Main.
Desargues is an ancient lunar impact crater that is located near the northern limb of the Moon, on the western hemisphere. It lies nearly due south of the crater Pascal, and southeast of Brianchon. The proximity of this crater to the limb means that it appears highly elongated due to foreshortening, and it is difficult to discern details from the Earth.
Bolyai is an old lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. To the southeast of Bolyai is the crater Eötvös, and to the north is Neujmin. It is named after the 19th century Hungarian mathematician János Bolyai.
Cannon is a lunar impact crater that is located near the east-northeastern limb of the Moon's near side. It lies just to the northwest of the Mare Marginis, and south-southeast of the crater Plutarch. Farther to the east-northeast is Hubble.
Scoresby is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northern part of the Moon's near side. It is nearly attached to the crater Challis along the north-northwestern rim, and is located just to the north of the walled plain Meton. Due to its location, this crater appears highly foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, appearing elliptical in shape. It is, however, very nearly circular when seen from above.
Loewy is a small lunar impact crater that lies along the eastern rim of Mare Humorum, in the southwest part of the Moon's near side. It was named after French astronomer Maurice Loewy. This is a lava-flooded formation that lies to the southwest of the larger, lava-flooded crater Agatharchides. To the southeast is an even larger lava-flooded formation, Hippalus.
Xenophanes is a lunar impact crater that is located along the northwestern limb of the Moon. It is nearly attached to Volta, a similar formation to the south-southwest. To the northeast is the smaller crater Cleostratus. Xenophanes is significantly foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, hindering observation.
Pascal is a lunar impact crater that lies near the northern limb of the Moon, on the western side of the pole. It is located to the north of the eroded crater Desargues, and just east of Brianchon. Pascal can be located by finding the crater Carpenter and then following the surface to the northwest towards the limb. However the visibility of this formation can be affected by libration.
Challis is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northern regions of the Moon's near side, close enough to the limb to appear significantly foreshortened when viewed from the Earth. It is joined to the crater Main through a break in the northern rim, and is close to Scoresby along the southeast side.
Crocco is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon from the Earth. It is located to the northeast of the huge walled plain Planck, and northwest of the equally huge Poincaré. Just to the north, within one crater diameter, is the crater Koch.
Campbell is a large lunar impact crater that is located in the northern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the walled plain D'Alembert, an even larger formation. If Campbell were located on the near side of the Moon as seen from the Earth, it would form one of the largest visible craters, being slightly larger than Schickard. It is bordered by several craters of note, with Wiener to the southwest, Von Neumann just to the south, Ley overlying the southeast rim, and Pawsey to the west.
Leibnitz is a huge lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. This formation is the same size as Clavius on the near side. It is located to the east-southeast of Mare Ingenii, and is joined to the northeast rim of Von Kármán. Attached to the eastern rim of Leibnitz is Davisson, and intruding into the southeast rim is Finsen. Farther to the west is the large Oppenheimer.
Chevallier is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, about a crater diameter east-southeast of the prominent crater Atlas. To the south-southeast of Chevallier is the flooded crater Shuckburgh. Chevallier was named by the IAU in 1935.
Euctemon is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northern part of the Moon, along the northwest rim of the crater Baillaud. To the southwest of Euctemon is the large walled plain Meton, and to the north-northeast lies the crater De Sitter. Due to its location, Euctemon appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth.
Shuckburgh is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, named after Sir George Augustus William Shuckburgh-Evelyn. It lies south-southeast of the flooded crater Chevallier and northwest of Hooke, roughly midway between these two formations. To the northeast is the Lacus Temporis plain.