Stein (lunar crater)

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Stein
Stein crater AS16-M-0016.jpg
Apollo 16 image
Coordinates 7°12′N179°00′E / 7.2°N 179.0°E / 7.2; 179.0 Coordinates: 7°12′N179°00′E / 7.2°N 179.0°E / 7.2; 179.0
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.

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.

Krasovskiy (crater) lunar crater

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.

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 Stein.

SteinLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
C8.9° N178.8° W27 km
K5.2° N180.0° W20 km
L4.6° N179.8° W15 km
M3.8° N178.8° E28 km
N2.2° N178.5° E16 km

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Brianchon (crater) lunar crater

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Fraunhofer (crater) lunar crater

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Wilson (crater) lunar crater

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Litke (crater) lunar crater

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Nassau (crater) lunar crater

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Wiener (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.