De La Rue (crater)
Encyclopedia
De La Rue is the remnant of a lunar
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.
The perimeter of De La Rue is a disintegrated mass of hills, irregular ground, and notches from old craters. The rim is generally rounded along the northwest half, while a formation to the southeast intrudes into the crater resulting in a somewhat straightened wall along that flank. The overall result is a somewhat pear-shaped perimeter. There are remnants of small craters along the south-southeast rim, and several ghost-crater
rims lie along the interior floor beside the northern inner wall.
Near the mid-point of the relatively flat interior floor is the bowl-shaped satellite crater De La Rue J. There is rough ground attached to the southern rim of this crater, and low hills just to the west. The inner floor is rougher along the southeast side. The remaining floor is marked by many tiny craterlets, with a notable pair in the northeast part of the interior.
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
, or possibly several merged craters, creating a formation sometimes called a walled plain. It lies in the northeastern part of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
on the near side, and so appears foreshortened due to its location. This formation lies to the north-northwest of the prominent crater Endymion
Endymion (crater)
Endymion is a lunar crater that lies near the northeast limb of the Moon. It is located to the east of Mare Frigoris, and north of the Lacus Temporis. To the southwest is the somewhat smaller crater Atlas. Because of its location, Endymion has an oval appearance from foreshortening...
, just beyond the eastern extreme of Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris is a lunar mare located just north of Mare Imbrium, and stretches east to north of Mare Serenitatis. The mare is in the outer rings of the Procellarum basin...
. The crater Strabo
Strabo (crater)
Strabo is a lunar crater that is located near the northeastern rim of the Moon. At this angle the crater appears oval in shape due to foreshortening. It is attached to the north rim of the walled plain De La Rue. To the west is the smaller crater Thales...
intrudes into the northern part of De La Rue's northern rim, and the smaller Thales
Thales (crater)
Thales is a small crater located in the northeast part of the Moon, just to the west of the larger crater Strabo. To the southeast is the walled plain De La Rue. Thales has a sharp, circular rim that has received little erosion. The lunar surface around Thales has a ray system that extends for over...
is attached to the northwestern part of the wall.
The perimeter of De La Rue is a disintegrated mass of hills, irregular ground, and notches from old craters. The rim is generally rounded along the northwest half, while a formation to the southeast intrudes into the crater resulting in a somewhat straightened wall along that flank. The overall result is a somewhat pear-shaped perimeter. There are remnants of small craters along the south-southeast rim, and several ghost-crater
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
rims lie along the interior floor beside the northern inner wall.
Near the mid-point of the relatively flat interior floor is the bowl-shaped satellite crater De La Rue J. There is rough ground attached to the southern rim of this crater, and low hills just to the west. The inner floor is rougher along the southeast side. The remaining floor is marked by many tiny craterlets, with a notable pair in the northeast part of the interior.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to De La Rue.| De La Rue | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 56.8° N | 46.2° E | 17 km |
| E | 56.8° N | 49.7° E | 32 km |
| J | 59.0° N | 52.8° E | 14 km |
| P | 60.5° N | 61.4° E | 10 km |
| Q | 61.5° N | 60.5° E | 10 km |
| R | 62.1° N | 61.1° E | 9 km |
| S | 62.9° N | 61.6° E | 12 km |
| W | 55.7° N | 46.9° E | 18 km |