Balmer (crater)

Balmer
LRO image
Coordinates20°06′N 70°36′E / 20.1°N 70.6°E / 20.1; 70.6
Diameter136.30 km (84.69 mi)[1]
Colongitude288° at sunrise
FormationPre-Nectarian[2]
EponymJohann J. Balmer

Balmer is the basalt-covered remains of a lunar impact crater. Only the heavily worn southern and eastern sections of the crater wall still survive; the remainder being overlaid by a basalt flow that joins to the nearby mare.[3] It forms part of the larger structure called the Balmer-Kapteyn Basin.[4] Balmer lies to the east-southeast of the crater Vendelinus.[5]: 98 

Balmer was considered a Constellation program region of interest.[4] Light plains deposits overlay mare basalt, as evidenced by multiple dark-halo craters. The surviving rims are from the pre-Nectarian period of the lunar geologic timescale.[2]

This crater is named after the Swiss mathematician and physician Johann J. Balmer (1825–1898), who was known for his work on spectral series.[6] The name was introduced into lunar nomenclature by David W. G. Arthur and Ewen Whitaker with the Rectified Lunar Atlas (1963).[7] Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1964.[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 Balmer.[8]

Balmer[5]: 292  Latitude Longitude Diameter
M 20.7° S 71.5° E 5 km
N 19.9° S 69.9° E 8 km
P 20.4° S 67.7° E 13 km
Q 18.7° S 70.5° E 7 km
R 18.7° S 69.1° E 4 km
S 18.4° S 67.6° E 6 km

References

  1. 1 2 "Balmer". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. 1 2 Hawke, B. R.; et al. (2005). "Remote sensing and geologic studies of the Balmer-Kapteyn region of the Moon". Journal of Geophysical Research. 110 (E6) E06004. Bibcode:2005JGRE..110.6004H. doi:10.1029/2004JE002383.
  3. ↑ Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 218. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.
  4. 1 2 "Two-toned Impact Crater in Balmer Basin: A Reflection of the Target?". Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. March 26, 2010. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  5. 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
  6. ↑ Menzel, D. H.; et al. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855. See p. 181.
  7. ↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  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.

Sources

  • Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
  • Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Balmer (crater) at Wikimedia Commons
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.