McClure (crater)

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McClure
McClure crater 4060 h2.jpg
Coordinates 15°18′S50°18′E / 15.3°S 50.3°E / -15.3; 50.3 Coordinates: 15°18′S50°18′E / 15.3°S 50.3°E / -15.3; 50.3
Diameter 24 km
Depth 1.5 km
Colongitude 310° at sunrise
Eponym Robert le M. McClure
Oblique view facing south from Apollo 8 McClure crater AS08-13-2219.jpg
Oblique view facing south from Apollo 8

McClure is a small lunar impact crater. It is located along the western edge of the Mare Fecunditatis, due east of the prominent crater Colombo. To the north of McClure is the similar Crozier, and to the southwest is the larger Cook. The outer rim is nearly circular and not significantly worn. The inner walls slope down to a somewhat irregular interior floor. McClure C is attached to the exterior of the northwest rim.

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.

Mare Fecunditatis lunar mare

Mare Fecunditatis is a lunar mare which is 840 km in diameter.

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 McClure.

McClureLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A15.7° S49.1° E6 km
B15.4° S49.3° E9 km
C14.7° S49.8° E27 km
D14.8° S51.8° E22 km
M14.2° S51.3° E21 km
N14.2° S52.7° E9 km
P14.8° S53.5° E16 km
S13.8° S53.4° E4 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.