Nansen-Apollo (crater)

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Nansen-Apollo
Nansen crater location AS17-151-23251.jpg
Location of Nansen-Apollo crater in Taurus-Littrow Valley. South Massif is at lower left, North Massif is at top center, and Sculptured Hills are at upper right. Scale bar is 5 km
Coordinates 20°07′N30°32′E / 20.11°N 30.53°E / 20.11; 30.53 Coordinates: 20°07′N30°32′E / 20.11°N 30.53°E / 20.11; 30.53
Diameter 860 m [1]
Eponym Astronaut-named feature
Planimetric map of Station 2 A17 PSR Figure 6-105 Station 2.gif
Planimetric map of Station 2

Nansen-Apollo is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley, at the base of the South Massif. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. The astronauts referred to it simply as Nansen during the mission. Geology Station 2 of the mission was located at Nansen. Nansen is located in the 'light mantle' which is almost certainly an avalanche deposit from the South Massif.

To the north of Nansen is Lara crater and Geology Station 3. To the northeast is Shorty and Geology Station 4. About 5 km to the east are Mackin and Hess craters.

The crater was named by the astronauts after Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer. [2]

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Mons Vitruvius Mountain on the Moon

Mons Vitruvius is a mountain on the Moon that is located in the Montes Taurus region just to the north of Mare Tranquillitatis and to the southeast of Mare Serenitatis. This massif is located at selenographic coordinates of 19.4° N, 30.8° E, and it has a diameter across the base of 15 km. It rises to a maximum height of about 2.3 km near the northeastern end. This mountain was named after the nearby crater Vitruvius, located to the south-southeast. The eponym for this crater is ancient Roman engineer and architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio.

Taurus–Littrow Lunar valley

Taurus–Littrow is a lunar valley located on the near side at the coordinates 20.0°N 31.0°E. It served as the landing site for the American Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, the last crewed mission to the Moon. The valley is located on the southeastern edge of Mare Serenitatis along a ring of mountains formed between 3.8 and 3.9 billion years ago when a large object impacted the Moon, forming the Serenitatis basin and pushing rock outward and upward.

Shorty (crater) Lunar crater

Shorty is a feature on Earth's Moon, an impact crater in the Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. It is the location of the famous "orange soil," which geologists believe to be small bits of rapidly-cooled molten rock ejected in a fire fountain. It is about 110 meters in diameter and up to 14 m (15 yd) deep.

Shorty Crater is about 14 m deep. Based on our investigations at the site and later examination of photographs, the impact that formed it penetrated, in order, regolith on the avalanche deposit, the avalanche deposit, regolith on a basalt flow, a basalt flow overlying and protecting the orange and black glass layers, the orange and black glass layers, regolith on a second basalt flow, and, finally, the upper portion of that second flow. Orange and black glass clods and basalt boulders are spread throughout the ejecta blanket surrounding Shorty.

Camelot (crater) Lunar impact crater

Camelot is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, during EVA 2. Geology Station 5 was along the south rim of Camelot.

Brontë (lunar crater) Lunar impact crater

Brontë is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. The astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt drove along the north rim of it in their Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Victory (crater)

Victory is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, during EVA 2. The astronauts stopped at the south rim of Victory on their way back to the Lunar Module from Shorty crater.

Van Serg (crater)

Van Serg is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, during EVA 3. Van Serg was designated Geology Station 9.

Steno-Apollo

Steno-Apollo is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. The astronauts referred to it simply as Steno during the mission. The north rim of Steno is Geology Station 1 of the mission.

Sherlock (crater)

Sherlock is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt drove their rover to the north of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. They photographed the rim, as shown below.

Shakespeare (lunar crater)

Shakespeare is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed southwest of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. They did not visit it, but in fact drove around it during EVA 3.

Mackin (crater)

Mackin is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed north of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, but did not visit it.

Lara (lunar crater)

Lara is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, during EVA 2. Geology Station 3 of the mission is located on the northeast rim of Lara.

Horatio (crater)

Horatio is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle along its south rim in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, but did not stop.

Hess-Apollo (crater) Lunar crater

Hess-Apollo is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed north of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, but did not visit it. The astronauts referred to it simply as Hess during the mission.

Emory (crater) Lunar impact crater in the Taurus–Littrow valley

Emory is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed north of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, but did not visit it.

Cochise (crater) Lunar impact crater in the Taurus–Littrow valley

Cochise is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed southwest of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. They drove along its rim in the rover during EVA 3, but did not stop.

Trident (crater)

Trident is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed about 300 m north of its rim in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. They drove along the east rim of Trident during EVA 1 of the mission, in their rover.

Powell (crater) Lunar crater near the Apollo 17 landing site

Powell is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed less than 1 km northeast of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, but they did not visit it.

Bowen-Apollo (crater) Lunar impact crater

Bowen-Apollo is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley, located at the foot of the Sculptured Hills. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed to the southwest of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. They referred to it simply as Bowen during the mission. It is located just east of Geology Station 8.

Henry (Apollo lunar crater) Lunar crater in Taurus-Littrow valley

Henry is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley, located at the foot of the Sculptured Hills. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed to the southwest of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission.

References

  1. Nansen-Apollo, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
  2. The Valley of Taurus-Littrow, Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Journal, Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright 1995 by Eric M. Jones