Vasco da Gama (crater)
Encyclopedia
Vasco da Gama is a lunar
impact crater
that is located near the western limb of the Moon
. It is named for the Portuguese
explorer Vasco da Gama
. It lies to the south of the walled plain Einstein
, due south of Dalton
. Attached to the southwestern rim of Vasco da Gama is the somewhat smaller crater Bohr
.
The northern and southern parts of the rim of Vasco da Gama have been heavily eroded by impacts, with the western and eastern rims being more intact. The smaller crater Vasco da Gama S intrudes into the southeastern rim, and just to its southwest is Vasco da Gama T. Near the northeastern rim is Vasco da Gama B.
The interior floor of this crater contains a system of rille
s designated the Rimae Vasco da Gama. These primarily lie in the western two-thirds of the floor, and run roughly north-south, sometimes bending near their ends. There is a low central ridge near the mid-point of the interior.
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 western 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 is named for the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
explorer Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
. It lies to the south of the walled plain Einstein
Einstein (crater)
Einstein is a large lunar crater that lies along the western limb of the Moon, making it difficult to observe from the Earth. The visibility of this formation is affected by libration effects, but even under the best conditions not much detail can be observed except from lunar orbit...
, due south of Dalton
Dalton (crater)
Dalton is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon's near side. It is attached to the eastern rim of the walled plain Einstein, with Balboa lying just to the north and Vasco da Gama due south. The rim of this crater is not heavily eroded, and the interior walls are...
. Attached to the southwestern rim of Vasco da Gama is the somewhat smaller crater Bohr
Bohr (crater)
Bohr is a lunar crater that is located near the western lunar limb, in the area that is affected by librations. It is attached to the southwestern rim of the larger, eroded Vasco da Gama formation, and to the southeast of the crater Einstein....
.
The northern and southern parts of the rim of Vasco da Gama have been heavily eroded by impacts, with the western and eastern rims being more intact. The smaller crater Vasco da Gama S intrudes into the southeastern rim, and just to its southwest is Vasco da Gama T. Near the northeastern rim is Vasco da Gama B.
The interior floor of this crater contains 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 the Rimae Vasco da Gama. These primarily lie in the western two-thirds of the floor, and run roughly north-south, sometimes bending near their ends. There is a low central ridge near the mid-point of the interior.
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 Vasco da Gama.| Vasco da Gama |
Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 12.7° N | 80.0° W | 23 km |
| B | 15.7° N | 83.0° W | 27 km |
| C | 11.4° N | 84.9° W | 44 km |
| F | 14.0° N | 80.6° W | 53 km |
| P | 12.0° N | 80.4° W | 91 km |
| R | 10.0° N | 83.4° W | 59 km |
| S | 12.6° N | 82.8° W | 28 km |
| T | 11.8° N | 83.3° W | 20 km |