Lyot (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Lyot is a large lunar
crater
that is located along the southeastern limb of the Moon
. It lies within the irregular and patchy lunar mare
named Mare Australe
, and to the south of the crater Hamilton
. Due to its location, this formation is viewed at a low angle from the Earth
, and its visibility is affected by libration
.
The interior floor of this crater has been resurfaced by lava
, leaving a dark interior with an albedo
that matches the surrounding mare. The outer rim is low and heavily worn, with a perimeter that forms a somewhat distorted circle. The southwest part of the floor and rim is marked by several small, bowl-shaped craters. There is also the remains of a ghost crater
to the east of the crater mid-point.
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 is located along the southeastern 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...
. It lies within the irregular and patchy 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...
named Mare Australe
Mare Australe
Mare Australe is a lunar mare located in the southeastern hemisphere of the Moon. It is 603 kilometers in diameter, overlapping the near and far sides of the Moon. Smooth, dark volcanic basalt lines the bottom of the mare...
, and to the south of the crater Hamilton
Hamilton (crater)
Hamilton is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southeastern limb of the Moon. From the Earth this crater is viewed nearly from the edge, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed...
. Due to its location, this formation is viewed at a low angle 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:...
.
The interior floor of this crater has been resurfaced by 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 a dark interior with an 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...
that matches the surrounding mare. The outer rim is low and heavily worn, with a perimeter that forms a somewhat distorted circle. The southwest part of the floor and rim is marked by several small, bowl-shaped craters. There is also the remains of a 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...
to the east of the crater mid-point.
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 Lyot.| Lyot | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 49.0° S | 79.6° E | 38 km |
| B | 50.4° S | 82.2° E | 9 km |
| C | 50.4° S | 80.4° E | 17 km |
| D | 51.6° S | 82.2° E | 14 km |
| E | 52.0° S | 82.9° E | 13 km |
| F | 52.3° S | 82.8° E | 21 km |
| H | 51.4° S | 78.2° E | 63 km |
| L | 54.4° S | 83.1° E | 70 km |
| M | 53.3° S | 86.2° E | 24 km |
| N | 52.8° S | 83.4° E | 12 km |
| P | 47.7° S | 85.0° E | 13 km |
| R | 46.1° S | 87.6° E | 30 km |
| S | 46.0° S | 85.6° E | 26 km |
| T | 46.8° S | 78.6° E | 8 km |