Sniadecki (crater)

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Sniadecki
Sniadecki crater 1038 med.jpg
Coordinates 22°30′S168°54′W / 22.5°S 168.9°W / -22.5; -168.9 Coordinates: 22°30′S168°54′W / 22.5°S 168.9°W / -22.5; -168.9
Diameter 43 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 169° at sunrise
Eponym Jan Śniadecki
Clementine mosaic Normal sniadecki-clem1.jpg
Clementine mosaic

Sniadecki is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. This is a circular, bowl-shaped feature that is not overlain by any significant impacts. However the larger satellite crater Sniadecki Q is attached to the southwestern outer rim and has disrupted the rim edge somewhat. There is also a small crater attached to the western outer rim.

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.

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.

Contents

To the northeast of Sniadecki is a small lunar mare feature that has been designated Lacus Oblivionis. To the northwest of Sniadecki is the crater Bok.

Lunar mare large, dark, basaltic plains on Earths Moon

The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich composition, and hence appear dark to the naked eye. The maria cover about 16% of the lunar surface, mostly on the side visible from Earth. The few maria on the far side are much smaller, residing mostly in very large craters. The traditional nomenclature for the Moon also includes one oceanus (ocean), as well as features with the names lacus (lake), palus (marsh), and sinus (bay). The last three are smaller than maria, but have the same nature and characteristics.

Lacus Oblivionis impact crater

Lacus Oblivionis is a small lunar mare on the surface of the Moon. It is located at 21.0° S, 168.0° W and is 50 km in diameter. The name was adopted by the IAU in 1976.

Bok (lunar crater) lunar crater

Bok is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. To the southeast is the crater Sniadecki; to the north is McKellar, and further to the west is De Vries.

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 Sniadecki.

SniadeckiLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
F22.4° S166.9° W12 km
J24.7° S166.9° W27 km
Q23.0° S170.1° W77 km
Y21.1° S169.3° W35 km

See also

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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.