Montgolfier (crater)

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Montgolfier
Woltjer lunar crater.jpg
LRO image, with Montgolfier at top, and Woltjer below center.
Coordinates 47°18′N159°48′W / 47.3°N 159.8°W / 47.3; -159.8 Coordinates: 47°18′N159°48′W / 47.3°N 159.8°W / 47.3; -159.8
Diameter 88 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 161° at sunrise
Eponym Jacques E. Montgolfier
Joseph M. Montgolfier

Montgolfier is a worn lunar impact crater that is located in the northern hemisphere of the Moon's far side. To the east-northeast is the crater Paraskevopoulos, and southwest of Montgolfier lies Schneller. Due south is the smaller Woltjer.

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.

Sphere round geometrical and circular object in three-dimensional space; special case of spheroid

A sphere is a perfectly round geometrical object in three-dimensional space that is the surface of a completely round ball.

The entire southern rim of this crater has been overlain by a cluster of four smaller craters. The remaining rim has been worn by smaller impacts, leaving a somewhat uneven perimeter that is overlain by some small craterlets. The interior floor is pitted by several small and tiny craterlets, and lacks a central peak.

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 Montgolfier.

MontgolfierLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
J46.4° N158.2° W28 km
P46.1° N160.9° W36 km
W49.3° N164.4° W37 km
Y50.5° N161.3° W40 km

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Stoletov (crater) lunar crater

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Wiener (crater) lunar crater

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Schlesinger (crater) lunar crater

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Seidel (crater) lunar crater

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Nijland (crater) lunar crater

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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.