Boussingault (crater)

Boussingault
Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates70°24′S 54°42′E / 70.4°S 54.7°E / -70.4; 54.7
Diameter127.61 km (79.29 mi)[1]
Depth3.2 km (2.0 mi)
Colongitude306° at sunrise
FormationPre-Nectarian[2]
EponymJean B. Boussingault
Oblique view of craters Boussingault (above right), Helmholtz (below right), and Neumayer (below left, mostly in shadow), facing southwest, from Lunar Orbiter 4

Boussingault is a large lunar impact crater that lies near the rugged southeast limb of the Moon.[3] Because of its location, Boussingault appears highly oblong in shape due to foreshortening. To the southwest is the crater Boguslawsky, and almost attached to the northeast rim is Helmholtz. East-southeast of Boussingault lies the crater Neumayer.[4]

On the lunar geologic timescale, this formation dates to the Pre-Nectarian period.[2] The most notable aspect of this crater is the large crater that lies entirely within its outer walls, Boussingault A,[5] so that it resembles a double-walled formation. Only the southern floor of Boussingault remains, and that is pitted by multiple small craterlets. The outer rim is worn and Boussingault K lies across the northwest rim. Further to the northwest is the overlapping triple crater formation of Boussingault E, B, and C.[6]

This crater is named after French chemist Jean B. Boussingault (1802-1887). His name was introduced into lunar nomenclature by German astronomer J. H. von Mädler during the 19th century.[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 Boussingault.[8]

Boussingault[9]: 294  Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 69.9° S 54.0° E 72 km
B 65.5° S 46.9° E 54 km
C 65.1° S 48.2° E 24 km
D 63.5° S 44.9° E 9 km
E 67.2° S 46.8° E 98 km
F 68.8° S 39.4° E 16 km
G 71.4° S 51.8° E 5 km
K 68.9° S 50.9° E 29 km
N 71.5° S 62.1° E 15 km
P 67.1° S 45.1° E 13 km
R 64.3° S 48.6° E 12 km
S 64.1° S 46.9° E 16 km
T 63.0° S 43.2° E 20 km

References

  1. 1 2 "Boussingault". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. 1 2 Krasilnikov, S. S.; et al. (June 2022). "Geological Details of the Main Landing Ellipses of Luna-25". Solar System Research. 56 (3): 135–144. Bibcode:2022SoSyR..56..135K. doi:10.1134/S0038094622020058.
  3. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
  4. ↑ The crater lies across two charts:
    • "LAC 138" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
    • "LAC 138" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  5. ↑ Wood, Chuck (April 10, 2006). "Not Quite a Bulls-Eye". Lunar Photo of the Day. Archived from the original on 2006-05-14. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
  6. ↑ Byrne, Charles J. (2008). The Far Side of the Moon. Springer. p. 212–213. ISBN 978-1-4899-8806-5.
  7. ↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 120, 219. 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.
  9. ↑ Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.

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.
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