Vlacq (crater)

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Vlacq
Vlacq crater 4070 h3.jpg
Coordinates 53°18′S38°48′E / 53.3°S 38.8°E / -53.3; 38.8 Coordinates: 53°18′S38°48′E / 53.3°S 38.8°E / -53.3; 38.8
Diameter 89 km
Depth 3.0 km
Colongitude 323° at sunrise
Eponym Adriaan Vlacq

Vlacq is a prominent lunar impact crater that is located in the southeastern part of the Moon, and appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth. This crater is adjacent to the northeastern rim of the larger Hommel, and to the northwest rim of Rosenberger.

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.

This crater has become eroded, but not to the degree of the larger neighboring craters. The satellite crater Vlacq G intrudes into the southern rim of Vlacq, and is overlaid in turn along the southwest rim by the sharp-rimmed Vlacq B. The satellite crater Vlacq C is attached to the northeastern exterior rim of Vlacq.

The interior floor of Vlacq has been resurfaced by lava, leaving a nearly level base. The southwest half of the floor, however, is overlaid by ejecta from nearby impacts. In the midpoint of the floor is a rounded massif that is about 15 kilometers in length, being long along the northwest direction. The floor contains a number of tiny craterlets as well as several ghostly crater remnants in the western half. The most notable of these is a circular depression to the west of the central peak.

Lava Molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption

Lava is molten rock generated by geothermal energy and expelled through fractures in planetary crust or in an eruption, usually at temperatures from 700 to 1,200 °C. The structures resulting from subsequent solidification and cooling are also sometimes described as lava. The molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites, though such material located below the crust is referred to by other terms.

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 Vlacq.

VlacqLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A51.2° S38.9° E17 km
B51.0° S39.7° E18 km
C50.3° S39.4° E19 km
D48.7° S36.2° E34 km
E52.0° S36.2° E11 km
G54.9° S38.1° E27 km
H47.9° S34.9° E11 km
K51.2° S36.6° E12 km

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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.