Nobel (crater)

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Nobel
Nobel crater WAC.jpg
LRO WAC image
Coordinates 15°00′N101°18′W / 15.0°N 101.3°W / 15.0; -101.3 Coordinates: 15°00′N101°18′W / 15.0°N 101.3°W / 15.0; -101.3
Diameter 48 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 102° at sunrise
Eponym Alfred B. Nobel
Nobel while at the lunar terminator Nobel crater 4188 med.jpg
Nobel while at the lunar terminator

Nobel is a crater that lies on the far side of the Moon. It is located in the northern edge of the vast skirt of ejecta surrounding the Mare Orientale impact basin. Less than three crater diameters to the south of Nobel is the larger crater Elvey, and to the west-southwest is the smaller Pease. This is a circular, bowl-shaped crater with a worn outer rim. Three smaller craters overlie the northern rim. The interior floor is relatively level, and is marked by several small and tiny craterlets.

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.

Mare Orientale Lunar mare on the western border of the near side and far side of the Moon

Mare Orientale is a lunar mare. It is located on the western border of the near side and far side of the Moon, and is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective. Images from spacecraft have revealed it to be one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bullseye.

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 Nobel.

NobelLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
B17.3° N99.5° W24 km
K13.1° N100.2° W20 km
L12.5° N100.9° W38 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.