Apollo 16 image | |
Coordinates | 7°12′N179°00′E / 7.2°N 179.0°E Coordinates: 7°12′N179°00′E / 7.2°N 179.0°E |
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Diameter | 33 km |
Depth | Unknown |
Colongitude | 179° at sunrise |
Eponym | Johan W. J. A. Stein |
Stein is an elongated impact crater formation that lies just to the east of the larger crater Tiselius, on the far side of the Moon. Farther to the east-southeast of Stein lies Krasovskiy.
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.
Krasovsky is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located about three crater diameters to the north-northwest of Daedalus. It is otherwise relatively isolated from impact craters of note, with the nearest comparable feature being Tiselius to the west-northwest.
This crater has an asymmetrical shape with an outward bulge along the north-northeastern rim. The resulting crater is roughly egg-shaped, with a wide ledge along the north-northwestern floor. The remaining crater is a bowl-shaped feature with simple slopes along the inner walls and a nearly featureless interior floor. The outer rim has not been significantly eroded, and is marked only by a tiny craterlet along the southern edge. There are small craterlets along the base of the inner wall along the north-northwestern side.
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Stein.
Stein | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
C | 8.9° N | 178.8° W | 27 km |
K | 5.2° N | 180.0° W | 20 km |
L | 4.6° N | 179.8° W | 15 km |
M | 3.8° N | 178.8° E | 28 km |
N | 2.2° N | 178.5° E | 16 km |
Fizeau is a prominent lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, in the southern hemisphere. Nearby craters of note include Minkowski to the west-northwest, and Eijkman to the southwest.
Boole is a lunar impact crater that lies along the northwestern limb of the Moon, to the northwest of the crater Gerard. At this location it is viewed nearly from the side, and is very oblong in shape due to foreshortening. The crater formation is nearly circular, however, with a wide inner wall that has been worn and rounded due to subsequent impacts. It is named after George Boole.
Brianchon is a lunar impact crater that is located along the northwestern limb of the Moon. Due to its location, from the Earth the crater is seen from the edge and its visibility is somewhat affected by libration. Thus for a more detailed view, the crater must be viewed from orbit.
Biela is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged highlands of the southeastern Moon. It is named after Austrian astronomer Wilhelm von Biela. The crater lies to the east of Rosenberger, to the southeast of the Watt–Steinheil double crater.
Boltzmann is an old lunar impact crater that is located along the southern limb of the Moon, in the vicinity of the south pole. At this location the crater is viewed from the side from Earth, and so not much detail can be seen. It is located to the north of the walled plain Drygalski, and to the west of the crater Le Gentil.
De La Rue is the remnant of a lunar impact crater, or possibly several merged craters, creating a formation sometimes called a walled plain. It lies in the northeastern part of the Moon on the near side, and so appears foreshortened due to its location. This formation lies to the north-northwest of the prominent crater Endymion, just beyond the eastern extreme of Mare Frigoris. The crater Strabo intrudes into the northern part of De La Rue's northern rim, and the smaller Thales is attached to the northwestern part of the wall.
Bhabha is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern part of the Moon's far side. It is nearly attached to the southeast rim of the larger crater Bose, and the outer rampart of that crater has produced a slight inward bulge along the northwest face of Bhabha. Other nearby craters of note include Stoney to the east, and Bellinsgauzen to the south.
Berosus is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeast part of the Moon, less than one crater diameter northwest of Hahn. Further to the east-northeast is the large crater Gauss, and to the north-northwest lies Bernoulli. Because of its location, this crater appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth.
Cremona is a lunar impact crater that is located along the north-northwestern limb of the Moon. From the Earth this crater is viewed from the side, and the visibility is affected by libration effects. To be viewed in any detail, this crater must be seen or photographed from orbit. It is located midway between the crater Boole to the south-southeast and, on the far side of the Moon, the crater Lindblad.
Carnot is a large crater in the northern part of the Moon's far side. It intrudes into the southern rim of the huge walled plain Birkhoff. To the west-southwest of Carnot is the crater Paraskevopoulos.
Fraunhofer is a lunar impact crater that is located just to the south-southwest of the walled plain Furnerius, in the southeastern part of the Moon. This crater appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, and is actually nearly circular.
Wilson is a lunar impact crater that lies in the southern part of the Moon's near side, to the southwest of the large walled plain Clavius. It is nearly attached to the southeastern rim of the slightly larger crater Kircher. Almost due east lies Klaproth, another walled plain.
Ibn Firnas is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. In 1976 it was named after Abbas Ibn Firnas, a polymath from Andalucia who, in the 9th century, devised a chain of rings that could be used to simulate the motions of the planets and stars.
Donner is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located just to the northeast of the Mare Australe, behind the southeastern limb of the Moon. During favorable librations this part of the lunar surface can be brought into view of the Earth, but the site is viewed from the edge and so not much detail can be seen.
Eijkman is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon's southern hemisphere. It lies about a half crater diameter to the southeast of the larger crater Lemaître. To the south-southwest is the crater Crommelin, and to the northeast is Fizeau.
Isaev is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is entirely contained within the much larger walled plain Gagarin, and lies in the northwestern part of Gagarin's interior floor. The northwestern outer rim of Isaev is attached to the inner rim of Gagarin.
Litke is a lunar impact crater that lies within the large walled plain Fermi, near the north-northwestern inner rim. Less than one crater diameter to the west-northwest is the slightly larger Delporte. Litke is located on the far side of the Moon and cannot be viewed directly from the Earth.
Nassau is a lunar impact crater on the Moon's far side. It abuts against the northeastern rim of the figure-8-shaped crater Van de Graaff. To the southeast of Nassau lies the crater Leeuwenhoek, and to the east is Orlov.
Weber is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon, and it cannot be viewed directly from the Earth's surface. This crater is attached to the northwest outer rim of the larger crater Sarton. About two crater diameters to the northwest is the eroded Kramers.
Wiener is a lunar impact crater that lies on the Moon's far side. It is located just to the southwest of the larger crater Campbell. To the southwest of Wiener is the heavily worn Kurchatov. To the east along the rim of Campbell is Von Neumann. The smaller crater Pawsey lies to the north-northwest, and is partly overlain by the outer rampart of Wiener.
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.