Kopff (crater)
Encyclopedia
Kopff is a lunar
crater
that lies along the eastern edge of the inner Mare Orientale
impact basin, on the western limb of the Moon
. In this position the crater is seen from on edge from the Earth
, and its visibility is affected by libration
. This situation makes it difficult to discern much detail about the crater unless it is viewed from orbit.
At one time this crater was considered to have formed due to volcanic activity, in contrast to most lunar craters which are considered to have been created through impacts. However it is more likely that the crater was formed by an impact against a surface that was still partly molten. This has left the crater with a sharp-edged, circular rim and a flat, dark-hued interior floor. Indeed, the albedo
of the interior floor matches that of the lunar mare
to the west. The southeast part of the floor is fractured with a series of narrow rille
s. The floor along the northwest and northeast edges is more rugged, and these sections have escaped the lava that covered the remainder of the floor.
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU
.
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...
that lies along the eastern edge of the inner Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale is one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bull's-eye. Located on the extreme western edge of the lunar nearside, this impact basin is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective.Material from this basin was not sampled by the Apollo program...
impact basin, on the western limb 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...
. In this position the crater is seen from on edge from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, and its visibility is affected by libration
Libration
In astronomy, libration is an oscillating motion of orbiting bodies relative to each other, notably including the motion of the Moon relative to Earth, or of Trojan asteroids relative to planets.-Lunar libration:...
. This situation makes it difficult to discern much detail about the crater unless it is viewed from orbit.
At one time this crater was considered to have formed due to volcanic activity, in contrast to most lunar craters which are considered to have been created through impacts. However it is more likely that the crater was formed by an impact against a surface that was still partly molten. This has left the crater with a sharp-edged, circular rim and a flat, dark-hued interior floor. Indeed, the albedo
Albedo
Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
of the interior floor matches that of the lunar mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
to the west. The southeast part of the floor is fractured with a series of narrow rille
Rille
Rille is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the lunar surface that resemble channels. Typically a rille can be up to several kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers in length...
s. The floor along the northwest and northeast edges is more rugged, and these sections have escaped the lava that covered the remainder of the 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 Kopff.| Kopff | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 16.9° S | 86.2° W | 8 km |
| C | 18.3° S | 86.1° W | 14 km |
| D | 19.9° S | 89.8° W | 13 km |
| E | 16.0° S | 89.8° W | 12 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
.
- Kopff A — See LallemandLallemand (crater)Lallemand is a small lunar impact crater that lies near the western limb of the Moon, in a region where the visibility is affected by libration effects. Because of its location, when viewed from the Earth the crater is viewed nearly from the side, limiting the amount of detail that can be seen...
.