Joule (crater)
Encyclopedia
Joule is a lunar
impact crater
that lies on the far side of the Moon
. It is located to the north-northeast of the walled plain Mach
. To the northwest of Joule is the crater Blazhko
.
This is a worn and eroded crater formation. A pair of smaller craters lies along the northeastern rim, and a crater is intruding into the northwest rim. To the south is an outward projection that has the appearance of a crater partly overlain by Joule. The remainder of the rim and inner wall is somewhat irregular. The interior floor is more level than the terrain surrounding the crater, but is marked by some small craterlets. At the mid-point of the interior floor is a central peak.
Joule T, located less than a crater diameter to the west of Joule, lies at the center of a ray system
. These rays primarily project to the south of the crater, with the most prominent ray crossing the crater Harvey
to the south. Only faint traces of this ray system actually cross into Joule, and are generally restricted to the western rim, inner sides and floor.
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...
that lies on the far side 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...
. It is located to the north-northeast of the walled plain Mach
Mach (crater)
Mach is a large lunar crater of the class known as a walled plain. It is located on the far side of the Moon and cannot be viewed directly from the Earth. Nearby craters of note include Joule to the northeast, Mitra attached to the western outer rim, and Henyey to the southwest.This is a prominent...
. To the northwest of Joule is the crater Blazhko
Blazhko (crater)
Blazhko is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the northwest of the crater Joule, and to the south of Gadomski....
.
This is a worn and eroded crater formation. A pair of smaller craters lies along the northeastern rim, and a crater is intruding into the northwest rim. To the south is an outward projection that has the appearance of a crater partly overlain by Joule. The remainder of the rim and inner wall is somewhat irregular. The interior floor is more level than the terrain surrounding the crater, but is marked by some small craterlets. At the mid-point of the interior floor is a central peak.
Joule T, located less than a crater diameter to the west of Joule, lies at the center of a ray system
Ray system
A ray system comprises radial streaks of fine ejecta thrown out during the formation of an impact crater, looking a bit like many thin spokes coming from the hub of a wheel. The rays can extend for lengths up to several times the diameter of their originating crater, and are often accompanied by...
. These rays primarily project to the south of the crater, with the most prominent ray crossing the crater Harvey
Harvey (crater)
Harvey is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon from the Earth. It lies astride the eastern rim of the much larger crater Mach, and the outer rampart of Harvey extends part way across the interior floor...
to the south. Only faint traces of this ray system actually cross into Joule, and are generally restricted to the western rim, inner sides and floor.
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 Joule.| Joule | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | 25.8° N | 141.9° W | 16 km |
| L | 26.1° N | 144.1° W | 69 km |
| T | 27.7° N | 148.2° W | 37 km |