Marius (crater)
Encyclopedia
Marius is a lunar
crater
located on the Oceanus Procellarum
. The surface to the west and north of this crater contains a large number of lunar dome
s spread across an area over a hundred kilometers in diameter that may be of volcanic origin dubbed the Marius Hills
. These domes, if volcanic, may have been formed by magma that is fairly more viscous than the volcanic material that formed the basaltic lunar maria. The nearest named crater feature is Reiner
to the southwest. Kepler
is located to the east-southeast, and rays
from that formation reach the rim of Marius.
The floor of Marius has been flooded by basalt
ic lava
, and the surface is relatively smooth and flat. There is no central rise, but a small craterlet Marius G lies in the northeast part of the floor. The crater rim is low and generally circular in form.
The area of this crater was one of the locations proposed for an Apollo mission, but the expedition was subsequently cancelled. About 50 kilometres to the southeast was the landing site of the Luna 7
probe.
One of the numerous rille
s in the crater's surrounding area has been found to host a probable cave skylight
of a lava cave
in 2009. Observations by the Japanese probe SELENE
indicate the hole is about 90 meters deep, and the roof — the top part of the tube — is about 25 meters thick. This would be a likely location to consider moon colonization should the hole connect to a long enough section of ancient lava tube
.
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...
located on the Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Earth's Moon. Its name derives from the old superstition that its appearance during the second quarter heralded bad weather...
. The surface to the west and north of this crater contains a large number of lunar dome
Lunar dome
A lunar dome is a type of shield volcano that is found on the surface of the Earth's Moon. They are typically formed by highly viscous, possibly silica-rich lava, erupting from localized vents followed by relatively slow cooling. Lunar domes are wide, rounded, circular features with a gentle slope...
s spread across an area over a hundred kilometers in diameter that may be of volcanic origin dubbed the Marius Hills
Marius Hills
The Marius Hills are a set of volcanic domes located in Oceanus Procellarum on Earth's Moon. The domes are thought to have formed from lavas fairly more viscous than those that formed the Lunar mare. These domes average approximately 200–500 m in height. The Marius Hills take their name from the...
. These domes, if volcanic, may have been formed by magma that is fairly more viscous than the volcanic material that formed the basaltic lunar maria. The nearest named crater feature is Reiner
Reiner (crater)
Reiner is a lunar impact crater on the Oceanus Procellarum, in the western part of the Moon. It has a nearly circular rim, but appears oval in shape due to foreshortening. The rim edge is well-defined and has not been eroded by impacts. In the mid-point of the irregular crater floor is a central peak...
to the southwest. 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....
is located to the east-southeast, and 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 that formation reach the rim of Marius.
The floor of Marius 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...
, and the surface is relatively smooth and flat. There is no central rise, but a small craterlet Marius G lies in the northeast part of the floor. The crater rim is low and generally circular in form.
The area of this crater was one of the locations proposed for an Apollo mission, but the expedition was subsequently cancelled. About 50 kilometres to the southeast was the landing site of the Luna 7
Luna 7
Luna 7 was an unmanned space mission of the Soviet Luna program, also called Lunik 7. The Luna 7 spacecraft was intended to achieve a soft landing on the Moon...
probe.
One of the numerous 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 in the crater's surrounding area has been found to host a probable cave skylight
Skylight
Skylight may refer to:* Skylight * Skylight , by David Hare* Skylight of a lava tube, a hole in the ceiling of the tube* Skylight, Arkansas* Skylight, a short film by David Clayton Rogers* Skylight Pictures, a film company...
of a lava cave
Lava cave
A lava cave is any cave formed in volcanic rock, although in typical usage it is reserved for caves formed by volcanic processes, which are more properly termed volcanic caves...
in 2009. Observations by the Japanese probe SELENE
SELENE
SELENE , better known in Japan by its nickname after the legendary Japanese moon princess, was the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft. Produced by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and the National Space Development Agency , both now part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration...
indicate the hole is about 90 meters deep, and the roof — the top part of the tube — is about 25 meters thick. This would be a likely location to consider moon colonization should the hole connect to a long enough section of ancient lava tube
Lava tube
Lava tubes are natural conduits through which lava travels beneath the surface of a lava flow, expelled by a volcano during an eruption. They can be actively draining lava from a source, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long, cave-like...
.
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 Marius.| Marius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 12.6° N | 46.0° W | 15 km |
| B | 16.3° N | 47.3° W | 12 km |
| C | 14.0° N | 47.6° W | 11 km |
| D | 11.4° N | 45.0° W | 9 km |
| E | 12.1° N | 52.7° W | 6 km |
| F | 12.1° N | 45.3° W | 6 km |
| G | 12.1° N | 50.6° W | 3 km |
| H | 11.3° N | 50.3° W | 5 km |
| J | 10.5° N | 46.9° W | 3 km |
| K | 9.4° N | 50.6° W | 4 km |
| L | 15.9° N | 55.7° W | 8 km |
| M | 17.4° N | 54.9° W | 6 km |
| N | 18.7° N | 54.7° W | 4 km |
| P | 17.9° N | 51.3° W | 4 km |
| Q | 16.5° N | 56.2° W | 5 km |
| R | 13.6° N | 50.3° W | 5 km |
| S | 13.9° N | 47.1° W | 7 km |
| U | 9.6° N | 47.6° W | 3 km |
| V | 9.9° N | 48.3° W | 2 km |
| W | 9.4° N | 49.7° W | 3 km |
| X | 9.7° N | 54.9° W | 5 km |
| Y | 9.8° N | 50.7° W | 2 km |