Marinus (crater)

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Marinus
Marinus crater 4178 h2.jpg
Lunar Orbiter 4 image (slightly oblique)
Coordinates 39°24′S76°30′E / 39.4°S 76.5°E / -39.4; 76.5 Coordinates: 39°24′S76°30′E / 39.4°S 76.5°E / -39.4; 76.5
Diameter 58 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 284° at sunrise
Eponym Marinus of Tyre

Marinus is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southeastern limb of the Moon. At this location it is viewed at an oblique angle from the Earth, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed. It lies due north of the slightly larger and dark-floored crater Oken. To the east is the northern part of the Mare Australe.

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.

This is a considerably worn crater, although it retains its generally circular formation. A pair of smaller craters overlies most of the south-southeastern rim. Attached to the northwestern rim is Marinus R, and the crater intrudes into Marinus B to the west. Within the crater, the floor is nearly level and has a slightly lower albedo than its surroundings. The interior surface is marked by a number of tiny craterlets and dimples, as is the rim and inner wall.

Albedo ratio of reflected radiation to incident radiation

Albedo is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation received by an astronomical body. It is dimensionless and measured on a scale from 0 to 1.

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 Marinus.

MarinusLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A39.9° S73.2° E27 km
B39.6° S74.8° E59 km
C38.0° S73.5° E37 km
D38.3° S79.4° E51 km
E36.2° S76.7° E17 km
F41.3° S74.8° E17 km
G40.4° S76.6° E21 km
H40.2° S77.7° E16 km
J39.6° S71.0° E10 km
M37.5° S80.8° E26 km
N37.6° S78.4° E16 km
R38.0° S75.3° E44 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.