Rayleigh (lunar crater)

This article is about the crater on the Moon. For the Martian crater, see Rayleigh (Martian crater).

Rayleigh

LRO image
Coordinates	29°18′N89°36′E / 29.3°N 89.6°E / 29.3; 89.6
Diameter	113.77 km
Colongitude	273° at sunrise
Eponym	Lord Rayleigh

Oblique Apollo 14 Hasselblad camera image

Oblique view from Apollo 16

Rayleigh and surroundings. NASA  photo.

Rayleigh is a lunar impact crater, approximately 114 kilometers in diameter, that lies along the northeast limb of the Moon. This feature is seen edge-on from Earth, making it difficult to see much detail. In addition, libration effects can completely hide this crater from view. It lies just to the north of Lyapunov, and to the northwest of the large Joliot. Attached to its southwest rim is the smaller Urey. ^[1]

Description

This is an eroded formation with a rim that has been worn and reshaped by impacts. This is particularly so in the south where the rim has been modified and supplemented by adjacent crater formations and several small craters that lie along the rim.

The interior floor is relatively level in places, but, partly due to overlapping ejecta, is somewhat rough and irregular in others, particularly in the southern half. A pair of small but prominent craters lies on the interior surface, with Rayleigh D just to the south of the crater midpoint and the smaller Rayleigh B situated in the western half.

Rayleigh was named for John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh. ^[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 Rayleigh.

Rayleigh	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter	Refs
B	28.9° N	88.4° E	15.48 km	WGPSN
C	31.4° N	85.7° E	26.13 km	WGPSN
D	28.9° N	89.7° E	22.3 km	WGPSN

The following crater has been renamed by the IAU.

• Rayleigh A —see Urey (crater).

See also

• 22740 Rayleigh, asteroid

References

1. "Rayleigh (lunar crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.

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