Sharonov (lunar crater)

Sharonov
	Lunar Orbiter 2 image (mosaic of high and low resolution images)
Coordinates	12°24′N173°18′E / 12.4°N 173.3°E Coordinates: 12°24′N173°18′E / 12.4°N 173.3°E
Diameter	74 km
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	188° at sunrise
Eponym	Vsevolod Vasilievich Sharonov

Last updated August 07, 2019

Sharonov is a lunar impact crater that lies on the Moon's far side. It is located to the southeast of the crater Anderson, and to the southwest of the ray-covered Virtanen. To the south-southeast of Sharonov lies Valier.

Lunar craters are impact craters on Earth's Moon. The Moon's surface has many craters, almost all of which were formed by impacts.

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.

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.

This crater is roughly circular, with a slight outward bulge along the southern rim. The rim edge is well-defined and has not been significantly degraded as a result of impact erosion. Sharonov partially overlays the smaller crater Sharonov X along the northwestern rim, which in turn connects to the southeastern outer rim of Anderson. The inner walls of Sharonov display some terraces, especially along the northern half. The interior is not marked by any significant impacts, but there are some ridges near the midpoint.

Anderson is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It is located to the northwest of the crater Sharonov, and the satellite crater Sharanov X is attached to the southeast rim of Anderson. To the northeast is the peculiar formation Buys-Ballot, and to the east-southeast lies the larger crater Spencer Jones.

Sharonov is probably part of the Eratosthenian System, but may be part of the Upper Imbrian System.^[1]

The Eratosthenian period in the lunar geologic timescale runs from 3,200 million years ago to 1,100 million years ago. It is named after the crater Eratosthenes, which displays characteristics typical of craters of this age, including a surface that is not significantly eroded by subsequent impacts, but which also does not possess a ray system. The massive basaltic volcanism of the Imbrian period tapered off and ceased during this long span of lunar time. The youngest lunar lava flows identified from orbital images are tentatively placed near the end of this period.

The crater lies within the Freundlich-Sharonov Basin.

The Freundlich-Sharonov Basin is a Pre-Nectarian impact basin on the far side of the moon. It is named after the younger craters Freundlich near the northwest margin and Sharonov near the southwest margin. It lies east of Mare Moscoviense basin and northwest of Korolev basin.

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 Sharonov.

Sharonov	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
D	13.5° N	175.4° E	17 km
F	12.3° N	176.2° E	14 km
X	14.1° N	172.7° E	36 km

Related Research Articles

Zernike is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon.

Arrhenius is a lunar impact crater that is located just on the far side of the Moon, near the southwest limb. In this location the vicinity of the crater can be viewed during favorable librations, although it is viewed from on edge. To the south-southeast is the worn crater Blanchard, and De Roy lies further to the west.

Borda is a lunar impact crater that lies between Santbech to the north-northwest and Reichenbach slightly further away to the south-southeast. It was named after French astronomer Jean-Charles de Borda. It has a low rim that is broken along the southeast by a smaller crater. The rim is intruded into by another small crater along the southwest side, and there is an irregular cleft along the northwest face. There is a central peak at the midpoint of the floor.

Fabry is a large lunar impact crater of the form termed a walled plain. It is located on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northeastern limb. Parts of this area are sometimes brought into view by the effects of libration, but the terrain is seen from the edge and so not much in the way of detail can be observed.

Barbier is a lunar impact crater that is located on the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It forms a matched pair with Cyrano to the north-northwest, and it lies to the southeast of the huge walled plain Gagarin. Southwest of Barbier is the crater Sierpinski, and to the southeast is the Mare Ingenii.

Buys-Ballot is an oddly-shaped lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies just to the northwest of the small lunar mare named Lacus Luxuriae, and southeast of the crater Freundlich. Other nearby craters of note are Anderson to the southwest and Dante to the northeast.

Casatus is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southern limb of the Moon. The north-northeast rim of the crater overlies a portion of the slightly larger crater Klaproth. Along the western rim, Casatus A intrudes somewhat into the interior, producing an inward-bowing rim. To the southeast of Casatus is Newton.

Demonax is a lunar impact crater near the southern limb of the Moon. This location makes the crater difficult to observe due to foreshortening. The crater is also illuminated at a very low angle, when it is in the sunlit side. Demonax lies just to the north of the crater Scott, one of the south polar formations. To the north-northwest is Boguslawsky.

Chandler is a lunar impact crater in the northern hemisphere, on the Moon's far side. It lies to the southeast of the large walled plain D'Alembert, and southeast of the slightly smaller Chernyshev crater.

Dziewulski is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies between the craters Edison to the north and Popov to the south. The outer rim of this crater has been considerably worn by impacts, particularly along the southwest quadrant where the satellite crater Dziewulski Q overlies the rim and the interior floor. The northern rim is also heavily disrupted, and several small crater lie along the southeast rim. The interior floor and surrounding terrain has been resurfaced.

Dante is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies in the northern hemisphere exactly opposite the prime meridian facing the Earth. The nearest craters of note are Larmor to the north and Morse to the southeast. To the southwest is the oddly shaped Buys-Ballot.

Fersman is a large lunar impact crater on the Moon's far side. It lies to the east of the crater Poynting, and west-northwest of Weyl. To the south is the huge walled plain Hertzsprung.

Freundlich is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies midway between the craters Trumpler to the north-northwest and the irregular Buys-Ballot to the south-southeast. This crater has a circular rim that is more heavily eroded at the northern and southern ends. Groups of craters lie across the floor to the southeast and the north, and individual small craters lie elsewhere within the interior. The crater is named after Erwin Freundlich.

Virtanen is a lunar impact crater that is located to the northeast of the larger crater Sharonov, and to the east of Anderson. Virtanen lies on the far side of the Moon, and cannot be viewed directly from the Earth.

Mitra is a lunar impact crater that is attached to the western outer rim of the larger crater Mach, on the far side of the Moon. Just to the west of Mitra is Bredikhin, and to the south-southeast lies Henyey. It is named after Sisir Kumar Mitra.

Morse is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon and cannot be seen directly from the Earth. It lies about one crater diameter to the southwest of the larger Fitzgerald. To the west-northwest of Morse is Dante.

Šafařík is a small lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies due north of the crater Tiselius and to the east-southeast of Sharonov. This is a worn and eroded crater with smaller impacts along the rim to the east and northwest. The remainder of the worn rim and the interior are relatively featureless.

Spencer Jones is a lunar impact crater on the Moon's far side. It is a roughly circular feature with a rim edge that is only moderately eroded. The inner wall of Spencer Jones is wider than elsewhere. The interior floor is relatively level with a low ridge offset to the south of the midpoint. Attached to the southwestern outer rim is the small satellite crater Spencer Jones Q.

Valier is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon. It is nearly attached to the western rim of the crater Tiselius. To the north-northwest lies the larger Sharonov, to the south-southwest is Coriolis, and west of Valier is Dufay.

References

↑ Stratigraphy of Lunar Craters, Don E. Wilhelms and Charles J. Byrne, January 23, 2009, Table 5.2

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Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
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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.

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.

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.

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[1] Stratigraphy of Lunar Craters, Don E. Wilhelms and Charles J. Byrne, January 23, 2009, Table 5.2

Lunar Orbiter 2 image (mosaic of high and low resolution images)
Coordinates	12°24′N173°18′E / 12.4°N 173.3°E / 12.4; 173.3 Coordinates: 12°24′N173°18′E / 12.4°N 173.3°E / 12.4; 173.3
Diameter	74 km
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	188° at sunrise
Eponym	Vsevolod Vasilievich Sharonov

Sharonov (lunar crater)

Contents

Satellite craters

Related Research Articles

References

External links