Maupertuis (crater)
Encyclopedia
Maupertuis is the remnant of a lunar
impact crater
that is located in the northern part of the Moon
's near side. It lies in the stretch of rugged terrain north of Sinus Iridum
, a bay in the northwestern corner of Mare Imbrium
. To the north lies the crater La Condamine
, and Mare Frigoris
.
This is a crater that has been nearly obliterated by a history of impacts, leaving only a disintegrated remnant of the original rim. The surviving outer rim is not especially circular, having been reshaped into a somewhat pentagon
al outline. There are deep gouges from cratering along the northeastern rim. The interior floor is not in much better shape, being rough and irregular.
To the northeast of this crater is a system of rille
s designated Rimae Maupertuis. These are considered to have formed through geological activity. Good eyesight and a large telescope are required to observe these rilles.
The crater was named for the French mathemetician and astronomer Pierre Louis Maupertuis
(1698 – 1759).
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 is located in the northern part 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 in the stretch of rugged terrain north of Sinus Iridum
Sinus Iridum
Sinus Iridum is a plain of basaltic lava that forms a northwestern extension to the Mare Imbrium. It is surrounded from the northeast to the southwest by the Montes Jura range. The protruding part of the range at the southwest end is named Promontorium Heraclides, while that at the northeast end...
, a bay in the northwestern corner of Mare Imbrium
Mare Imbrium
Mare Imbrium, Latin for "Sea of Showers" or "Sea of Rains", is a vast lunar mare filling a basin on Earth's Moon and one of the larger craters in the Solar System. Mare Imbrium was created when lava flooded the giant crater formed when a very large object hit the Moon long ago...
. To the north lies the crater La Condamine
La Condamine (crater)
La Condamine is a small lunar crater that is located on the southern edge of the Mare Frigoris, in the northern part of the Moon. It lies to the northeast of the mountain-rimmed Sinus Iridum formation in the northwest part of the Mare Imbrium....
, and Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris is a lunar mare located just north of Mare Imbrium, and stretches east to north of Mare Serenitatis. The mare is in the outer rings of the Procellarum basin...
.
This is a crater that has been nearly obliterated by a history of impacts, leaving only a disintegrated remnant of the original rim. The surviving outer rim is not especially circular, having been reshaped into a somewhat pentagon
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagram is an example of a self-intersecting pentagon.- Regular pentagons :In a regular pentagon, all sides are equal in length and...
al outline. There are deep gouges from cratering along the northeastern rim. The interior floor is not in much better shape, being rough and irregular.
To the northeast of this crater is a system of 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 designated Rimae Maupertuis. These are considered to have formed through geological activity. Good eyesight and a large telescope are required to observe these rilles.
The crater was named for the French mathemetician and astronomer Pierre Louis Maupertuis
Pierre Louis Maupertuis
Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis was a French mathematician, philosopher and man of letters. He became the Director of the Académie des Sciences, and the first President of the Berlin Academy of Science, at the invitation of Frederick the Great....
(1698 – 1759).
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 Maupertuis.| Maupertuis | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 50.6° N | 24.7° W | 14 km |
| B | 51.3° N | 26.7° W | 6 km |
| C | 50.2° N | 24.0° W | 11 km |
| K | 49.3° N | 25.0° W | 6 km |
| L | 51.3° N | 29.2° W | 6 km |