Airy (lunar crater)

Airy
	Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates	18°08′S 5°37′E / 18.14°S 5.61°E
Diameter	38.90 km (24.17 mi)
Depth	1.8 km
Colongitude	354° at sunrise
Eponym	George B. Airy

Vicinity of Airy, as viewed from the Bayfordbury Observatory

Airy is a lunar impact crater located in the southern highlands. It forms the southernmost member of a chain of craters consisting of Vogel, Argelander, and Airy. A little further to the south lies Donati. Airy has a worn, and somewhat polygonal rim that it broken at the northern and southern ends.^[2]^: 95 It is a floor-fractured crater^[3]^[4] with a central peak.

To the west of Airy crater is an albedo feature resembling a lunar swirl. These features are normally associated with a magnetic anomaly. It is described as an "elongated curved bright area with a central darker lane."^[5] The magnetic anomaly causing the feature was discovered based on magnetometer data from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft.^[6]

This crater is named in honour of British astronomer George Biddell Airy (1801–1892). His name was introduced into lunar nomenclature by German astronomer J. H. von Mädler in 1837.^[7] Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.^[1]

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Airy.^[8]

Airy^[2]^: 291	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	17.0° S	7.7° E	13 km
B	17.6° S	8.5° E	29 km
C	19.3° S	4.9° E	34 km
D	18.2° S	8.5° E	7 km
E	20.7° S	7.6° E	38 km
F	18.2° S	7.3° E	5 km
G	18.7° S	7.0° E	25 km
H	18.7° S	5.8° E	9 km
J	19.0° S	6.1° E	4 km
L	20.4° S	7.5° E	6 km
M	19.2° S	7.6° E	1 km
N	17.8° S	8.2° E	8 km
O	16.7° S	8.3° E	5 km
P	15.8° S	8.4° E	7 km
R	19.6° S	8.8° E	7 km
S	17.2° S	9.4° E	5 km
T	19.2° S	9.4° E	40 km
V	17.5° S	9.2° E	5 km
X	18.9° S	10.2° E	4 km

References

1 2 "Airy". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
↑ Jozwiak, Lauren M.; et al. (November 2012). "Lunar floor-fractured craters: Classification, distribution, origin and implications for magmatism and shallow crustal structure". Journal of Geophysical Research. 117 (E11) E11005. Bibcode:2012JGRE..11711005J. doi:10.1029/2012JE004134. hdl:1721.1/85651.
↑ Wilhelms, Don E.; McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J. (1987). The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
↑ Hughes, C. G.; et al. (March 2006). Optical Maturity and Magnetic Studies of Lunar Swirls (PDF). 37th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 13-17, 2006, League City, Texas. abstract no.1230. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
↑ Blewett, D. T.; et al. (December 2007). "A magnetic anomaly associated with an albedo feature near Airy crater in the lunar nearside highlands". Geophysical Research Letters. 34 (24). CiteID L24206. Bibcode:2007GeoRL..3424206B. doi:10.1029/2007GL031670.
↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
↑ Grego, P. (2015). "Satellite Crater". In Hargitai, H.; Kereszturi, Á. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_328.

External links

Airy at The Moon Wiki
Wood, Chuck (February 10, 2008). "Airy Swirl". Lunar Photo of the Day.

[GPN-1] 1 2 "Airy". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.

[Bussey_Spudis_2004-2] 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.

[Jozwiak_et_al_2012-3] Jozwiak, Lauren M.; et al. (November 2012). "Lunar floor-fractured craters: Classification, distribution, origin and implications for magmatism and shallow crustal structure". Journal of Geophysical Research. 117 (E11) E11005. Bibcode:2012JGRE..11711005J. doi:10.1029/2012JE004134. hdl:1721.1/85651.

[Wilhelms_et_al_1987-4] Wilhelms, Don E.; McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J. (1987). The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.

[Hughes_et_al_2006-5] Hughes, C. G.; et al. (March 2006). Optical Maturity and Magnetic Studies of Lunar Swirls (PDF). 37th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 13-17, 2006, League City, Texas. abstract no.1230. Retrieved 2026-05-08.

[Blewett_et_al_2007-6] Blewett, D. T.; et al. (December 2007). "A magnetic anomaly associated with an albedo feature near Airy crater in the lunar nearside highlands". Geophysical Research Letters. 34 (24). CiteID L24206. Bibcode:2007GeoRL..3424206B. doi:10.1029/2007GL031670.

[Whitaker_1999-7] Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.

[Grego_2015-8] Grego, P. (2015). "Satellite Crater". In Hargitai, H.; Kereszturi, Á. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_328.

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