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Kunowsky (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Kunowsky is a small lunar
crater
on the Mare Insularum
, in the western half of the Moon
's near side. It lies about one third the distance from Encke
to the west-northwest and Lansberg
to the east-southeast.
This formation is surrounded by lunar mare
, and the interior has been flooded by basalt
ic lava
, leaving only a roughly circular rim projecting above the surface. The rim is slender and sharp-edged, with no significant erosion. Apart from a tiny craterlet at the mid-point of the interior floor, this crater has no other significant features. It does lie in a region of the mare where rays
from the craters Kepler
to the northwest and Copernicus
farther to the northeast.
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...
on the Mare Insularum
Mare Insularum
Mare Insularum is a lunar mare located in the Insularum basin just south of Mare Imbrium. The basin material is of the Lower Imbrian epoch, with the mare material of the Upper Imbrian epoch. The mare is bordered by the craters Copernicus on the east, and Kepler on the west...
, in the western half 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...
's near side. It lies about one third the distance from Encke
Encke (crater)
Encke is a lunar crater that is located on the western edge of the Mare Insularum, to the south-southeast of the crater Kepler. The small crater Kunowsky lies to the east-southeast on the mare....
to the west-northwest and Lansberg
Lansberg (crater)
Lansberg is a lunar impact crater on the Mare Insularum. It can be located by following a line south-southwest from Copernicus to Reinhold, then southwest to Lansberg. The crater has a high rim and a central mountain. There are terraces along the inner walls, and the tops have slumped to produce a...
to the east-southeast.
This formation is surrounded by 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...
, and the interior has been flooded by basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
, leaving only a roughly circular rim projecting above the surface. The rim is slender and sharp-edged, with no significant erosion. Apart from a tiny craterlet at the mid-point of the interior floor, this crater has no other significant features. It does lie in a region of the mare where rays
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...
from the craters Kepler
Kepler (lunar crater)
Kepler is a lunar impact crater that lies between the Oceanus Procellarum to the west and Mare Insularum in the east. To the southeast is the crater Encke....
to the northwest and Copernicus
Copernicus (lunar crater)
Copernicus is a prominent lunar impact crater named after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, located in eastern Oceanus Procellarum. It is estimated to be about 800 million years old, and typifies craters that formed during the Copernican period in that it has a prominent ray system.-...
farther to the northeast.
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 Kunowsky.| Kunowsky | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 0.2° S | 32.4° W | 3 km |
| D | 1.5° N | 28.8° W | 5 km |
| G | 1.7° N | 30.7° W | 4 km |
| H | 1.1° N | 30.0° W | 3 km |