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Herschel (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Herschel is a lunar
impact crater
located just to the north of the walled plain Ptolemaeus
. Just to the north is the flooded crater Spörer
, and due east lies the disintegrated crater Gyldén
. About a crater diameter to the northwest is the walled plain Flammarion
, along the southern edge of the Sinus Medii
.
The rim of this crater is generally circular, although the western side is straight. It has a well-defined edge that is not significantly worn, and the inner walls are terraced. On the rough inner floor is a notable central rise. This peak is offset slightly to the west of the crater mid-point. The small crater Herschel G is attached to the south-southwest rim, and a tiny craterlet lies across the southern rim.
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...
impact 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...
located just to the north of the walled plain Ptolemaeus
Ptolemaeus (lunar crater)
Ptolemaeus is an ancient lunar impact crater close to the center of the near side. To the south-southeast Ptolemaeus is joined to the rim of the crater Alphonsus by a section of rugged, irregular terrain, and these form a prominent chain with Arzachel to the south...
. Just to the north is the flooded crater Spörer
Spörer (crater)
Spörer is a lunar crater that lies just to the north of the crater Herschel, and southeast of the lava-flooded Flammarion. To the southeast is Gyldén, and to the northeast is Réaumur....
, and due east lies the disintegrated crater Gyldén
Gyldén (crater)
Gyldén is the remnant of a lunar crater that is located to the northeast of the walled plain Ptolemaeus on the Moon. It lies along the prime meridian of the selenographic coordinate system, and less than 150 km south of the lunar equator...
. About a crater diameter to the northwest is the walled plain Flammarion
Flammarion (lunar crater)
Flammarion is a lunar crater on the south edge of Sinus Medii. It is located between the crater Mösting to the northwest and Herschel to the southeast. The bowl-shaped Mösting A intersects the western rim of Flammarion....
, along the southern edge of the Sinus Medii
Sinus Medii
Sinus Medii is a small lunar mare that is located at the intersection of the Moon's equator and prime meridian. As seen from the Earth, this feature is located in the central part of the Moon's near side, and it is the point closest to the Earth...
.
The rim of this crater is generally circular, although the western side is straight. It has a well-defined edge that is not significantly worn, and the inner walls are terraced. On the rough inner floor is a notable central rise. This peak is offset slightly to the west of the crater mid-point. The small crater Herschel G is attached to the south-southwest rim, and a tiny craterlet lies across the southern rim.
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 Herschel.| Herschel | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 5.0° S | 3.2° W | 10 km |
| D | 5.3° S | 4.0° W | 20 km |
| F | 5.8° S | 4.4° W | 7 km |
| G | 6.5° S | 2.4° W | 14 km |
| H | 6.3° S | 3.4° W | 5 km |
| J | 6.4° S | 4.3° W | 5 km |
| N | 5.2° S | 1.1° W | 15 km |
| X | 5.3° S | 2.7° W | 3 km |