Clerke (crater)

Clerke
Apollo 17 image
Coordinates21°42′N 29°48′E / 21.7°N 29.8°E / 21.7; 29.8
Diameter6.66 km (4.14 mi)
Depth1.47 km (0.91 mi)[1]
Colongitude330° at sunrise
EponymAgnes M. Clerke
Oblique Apollo 17 image of Clerke
Granular debris flows within Clerke

Clerke is a tiny lunar impact crater.[2] It is located near the eastern edge of Mare Serenitatis in the midst of a rille system named the Rimae Littrow after the crater Littrow to the east.[3][4] This crater is roughly circular and cup-shaped, with a relatively high albedo.[2] In a valley to the southeast is the landing site of the Apollo 17 mission.[5]

This formation is named after Irish astronomer Agnes Mary Clerke,[6] who played a role in bringing astronomy and astrophysics to the public in Victorian England.[5] Its designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1973.[6] Clerke was previously designated Littrow B.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Joshi, Maitri P. (February 2017). "Physical properties of lunar craters". Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 17 (3). id. 24. Bibcode:2017RAA....17...24J. doi:10.1088/1674-4527/17/3/24.
  2. 1 2 3 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
  3. ↑ Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 127. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.
  4. ↑ Altschuler, Daniel R.; Ballesteros, Fernando J. (2019). The Women of the Moon: Tales of Science, Love, Sorrow, and Courage. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-258279-9.
  5. 1 2 "Clerke Crater". Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
  6. 1 2 "Clerke". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2025-03-09.

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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