![]() Apollo 16 Mapping Camera image | |
Coordinates | 1°46′S78°12′E / 1.77°S 78.20°E Coordinates: 1°46′S78°12′E / 1.77°S 78.20°E |
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Diameter | 33.48 km |
Depth | 3.1 km [1] |
Colongitude | 282° at sunrise |
Eponym | John M. Van Vleck |
Van Vleck is a lunar impact crater that is located near the northeastern rim of the walled plain Gilbert, to the west of the Mare Smythii. The similar crater Weierstrass is nearly joined to the northwestern rim of Van Vleck. To the east is the small Carrillo.
The rim of this crater is nearly circular with no overlying craters of note, although a small crater abuts against the northeastern side and another along the southern inner wall. The inner sides slope down to a slumped ring of unconsolidated material that encircles the interior floor. There is a small peak just to the north of the crater center.
This crater was previously identified as Gilbert M before being assigned a name by the IAU in 1976. [2]
Abul Wafa is an impact crater located near the lunar equator on the far side of the Moon, named after the Persian mathematician and astronomer Abu al-Wafa' Buzjani. To the east are the crater pair Ctesibius and Heron. In the northeast lies the larger crater King, and to the southwest is Vesalius.
Avery is a small lunar impact crater located near the eastern limb of the Moon. This is a circular, bowl-shaped formation with a small interior floor. It lies near the western edge of Mare Smythii. To the east is the crater Haldane, and to the southwest is Carrillo. Gilbert lies to the southwest.
Carrillo is a small lunar impact crater located near the eastern limb of the Moon. In this location the crater is subject to lunar libration effects, and appears highly oval due to foreshortening. It is located on the slope of highlands on the west side of Mare Smythii, and its inner wall is wider on the western side than to the east.
Auzout is a lunar impact crater that is located to the southeast of the Mare Crisium, near the eastern limb of the Moon. It is named after French astronomer Adrien Auzout."Auzout (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Attached to the southern rim is the smaller crater van Albada. To the east-northeast is the large Condorcet. This crater is not especially notable, although it does possess a central mountain. This crater is designated 'Azout' in some sources.
Gagarin is a large lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. To the southwest is the crater Pavlov and to the northeast lies Keeler. Closer to the rim are the craters Levi-Civita to the southwest, and Beijerinck to the north-northeast. Isaev lies entirely within the northwest rim of Gagarin. In contrast with the floor of Gagarin, Isaev has a floor with a somewhat low albedo.
Armiński is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, to the northeast of the large walled basin Gagarin. To the northwest of Armiński is the crater Beijerinck, and to the southeast lies Cyrano.
Atwood is a small earth moon impact crater that is located on the Mare Fecunditatis, to the northwest of the prominent crater Langrenus. It forms a triple-crater formation with Naonobu attached to the north rim and Bilharz near the west rim.
Carmichael is a lunar impact crater that is located along the eastern edge of the Sinus Amoris, in the northeastern quadrant of the Moon's near side. Its diameter is 20 km. It was named after American psychologist Leonard Carmichael. It lies within a couple of crater diameters south-southwest of the smaller crater Hill. Further to the east-northeast is the prominent crater Macrobius. Carmichael was designated Macrobius A before being given its current name by the IAU.
Gilbert is a large lunar impact crater that lies near the eastern limb of the Moon. Due to its location this feature appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed. The crater lies to the northwest of the similar-sized walled plain Kästner, to the west of the Mare Smythii.
Geissler is a small lunar impact crater that lies on the northern floor of the much larger walled plain Gilbert, near the eastern limb of the Moon. Just to the northeast of this crater, attached to the outer rim of Gilbert, is the crater pair of Weierstrass and Van Vleck.
Kästner is a lunar impact crater that is located near the eastern limb of the Moon, to the southwest of the Mare Smythii. Just to the northwest of Kästner is the walled plain Gilbert. To the south is the prominent crater Ansgarius, and to the southwest lies La Pérouse.
Diameter 67.79 KM Center Latitude -6.41 ° Center Longitude 84.11 °
Weierstrass is a small lunar impact crater that is attached to the northern rim of the walled plain Gilbert, in the eastern part of the Moon. It also lies very near the crater Van Vleck, a similar formation just to the southeast that is almost attached to the outer rim. Due to its location, the crater appears foreshortened as seen from the Earth.
Kao is a small lunar impact crater that is located near the eastern limb of the Moon. It lies near the southern edge of the Mare Smythii, a lunar mare that continues onto the far side of the surface. This crater lies to the east-southeast of the crater Widmannstätten. Less than a crater diameter to the north-northeast is the small crater Tucker.
Lebesgue is a small lunar impact crater that is located near the eastern limb of the Moon. It lies in the southeastern part of the Mare Smythii, to the southeast of the crater Warner. The southeastern rim of Lebesgue is attached to a small crater that overlays the northwest rim of Swasey, so that the three form a short crater chain. This is a circular, bowl-shaped crater formation. It is not notably eroded or overlain by impacts.
Runge is a lunar impact crater in the Mare Smythii, along the eastern edge of the Moon. It lies less than one crater diameter to the north-northwest of the very similar crater Warner. To the west-northwest is Haldane, and due west is the smaller Talbot.
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.
Warner is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern part of the Mare Smythii, near the eastern limb of the Moon. In this location the crater is viewed almost from the edge from Earth, and is sometimes hidden from sight due to libration. The crater lies just to the south-southeast of the very similar Runge. To the southwest is Widmannstätten, and to the south is the merged Kao–Helmert crater pair.
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.
D'Arsonval is a small lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is situated across the northeastern rim of the older and larger crater Danjon. To the west of D'Arsonval is Perepelkin.