Swasey (crater)

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Swasey
Swasey crater AS15-M-1062.jpg
Apollo 15 mapping camera image
Coordinates 5°28′S89°40′E / 5.46°S 89.67°E / -5.46; 89.67 Coordinates: 5°28′S89°40′E / 5.46°S 89.67°E / -5.46; 89.67
Diameter 24.85 km
Depth 0.79 km [1]
Colongitude 271° at sunrise
Eponym Ambrose Swasey
Oblique view from Apollo 17 Swasey crater AS17-P-2889.jpg
Oblique view from Apollo 17

Swasey is a small lunar impact crater that lies along the eastern limb of the Moon. It lies near the southeastern edge of the Mare Smythii, to the west of the walled plain Hirayama. About one crater diameter to the northeast is Hume, and to the southwest is the merged crater pair of Kao and Helmert.

The outer rim of this crater is roughly circular, and a small crater overlies the northwestern side. This attached crater is also joined to the southeastern outer rim of the small crater Lebesgue.

The crater's name was approved by the IAU in 1976. [2]

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Slocum is a small lunar impact crater in the southeastern part of the Mare Smythii. It lies near the eastern limb of the Moon, and from the Earth this section of the surface is viewed at a very oblique angle. This greatly limits the amount of detail that can be observed. In addition, libration of the Moon in its orbit can cause this area to be completely hidden from Earth. Nearby craters of note include Runge to the west-northwest, Warner to the west-southwest, and Swasey to the south-southeast.

References

  1. LTO-81B3 Widmannstatten, Lunar Topographic Orthophotomap (LTO) Series
  2. Swasey, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)