Shatalov (crater)

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Shatalov
Shatalov crater 5124 med.jpg
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 image
Coordinates 24°18′N141°30′E / 24.3°N 141.5°E / 24.3; 141.5 Coordinates: 24°18′N141°30′E / 24.3°N 141.5°E / 24.3; 141.5
Diameter 21 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 220° at sunrise
Eponym Vladimir A. Shatalov

Shatalov is a relatively small lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located to the west-southwest of the Mare Moscoviense, one of the few lunar maria on the far side. To the east-southeast of Shatalov along the edge of the Mare Moscoviense is the larger crater Belyaev.

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.

Mare Moscoviense lunar mare

Mare Moscoviense is a lunar mare that sits in the Moscoviense basin. It is one of the very few maria on the far side of the Moon. Like Mare Marginis, this mare appears to be fairly thin. However, it is clearly centered within a large impact basin. It is also much lower than either the outer basin floor or the farside highlands.

This is a bowl-shaped crater with a circular outer rim, a fairly typical appearance for a lunar crater of this size. Attached to the outer rim along the northeastern side is a small, cup-shaped impact crater. The interior of Shatalov is not marked by any impacts of significance.

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Leonov (crater) lunar crater

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Tereshkova (crater) lunar crater

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Tikhomirov (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.