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Van Vleck (crater)
Encyclopedia
Van Vleck is a lunar
impact crater
that is located near the northeastern rim of the walled plain Gilbert
, to the west of the Mare Smythii
. The similar crater Weierstrass
is nearly joined to the northwestern rim of Van Vleck. To the east is the small Carrillo
.
The rim of this crater is nearly circular with no overlying craters of note, although a small crater abuts against the northeastern side and another along the southern inner wall. The inner sides slope down to a slumped ring of unconsolidated material that encircles the interior floor. There is a small peak just to the north of the crater center.
This crater was previously identified as Gilbert M before being assigned a name 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...
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 near the northeastern rim of the walled plain Gilbert
Gilbert (lunar crater)
Gilbert is a large lunar crater that lies near the eastern limb of the Moon. Due to its location this feature appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed...
, to the west of the Mare Smythii
Mare Smythii
Mare Smythii is a lunar mare located along the equator on the easternmost edge of the lunar near side. The Smythii basin where the mare is located is of the Pre-Nectarian epoch, while the surrounding features are of the Nectarian system...
. The similar crater Weierstrass
Weierstrass (crater)
Weierstrass is a small lunar crater that is attached to the northern rim of the walled plain Gilbert, in the eastern part of the Moon. It also lies very near the crater Van Vleck, a similar formation just to the southeast that is almost attached to the outer rim...
is nearly joined to the northwestern rim of Van Vleck. To the east is the small Carrillo
Carrillo (crater)
Carrillo is a small lunar crater located near the eastern limb of the Moon. In this location the crater is subject to lunar libration effects, and appears highly oval due to foreshortening. The rim of this crater is roughly circular, with an inner wall that is wider on the western side than to the...
.
The rim of this crater is nearly circular with no overlying craters of note, although a small crater abuts against the northeastern side and another along the southern inner wall. The inner sides slope down to a slumped ring of unconsolidated material that encircles the interior floor. There is a small peak just to the north of the crater center.
This crater was previously identified as Gilbert M before being assigned a name 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...
.
External links
- LTO-81A2 Gilbert — L&PI topographic mapTopographic mapA topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines in modern mapping, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features...