Cook (crater)

Cook
Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates17°30′S 48°49′E / 17.50°S 48.81°E / -17.50; 48.81
Diameter45.16 km (28.06 mi)[1]
Depth1.2 km (0.75 mi)
Colongitude312° at sunrise
EponymJames Cook
Oblique view of Cook crater (below left of center) and Monge crater (above right of center), facing south, from Apollo 16

Cook is a lunar impact crater that lies in the western part of the Mare Fecunditatis. This formation is easy to spot due to its dark floor.[2] To the northwest of Cook is the prominent crater Colombo. To the southwest is Monge.[3]

The interior of this crater has been flooded with lava, leaving only a low rim projecting above the surface. This rim is not quite circular, and has a somewhat hexagonal appearance. The low wall is worn in a few places, particularly along the northeastern rim. There is a small crater called Cook A on the interior floor near the southeast rim.[4]: 97 

This formation is named after British explorer James Cook (1728–1779). His name was included with the lunar nomenclature of German astronomer Johann Heinrich von Mädler in the 19th century.[5] 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 Cook.[6]

Cook[4]: 296  Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 17.8° S 49.2° E 6 km
B 17.3° S 51.7° E 9 km
C 18.2° S 51.3° E 5 km
D 20.1° S 53.4° E 4 km
E 18.4° S 55.1° E 5 km
F 17.6° S 55.4° E 7 km
G 18.9° S 48.7° E 9 km

References

  1. 1 2 "Cook". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  2. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
  3. ↑ "LAC 97" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  4. 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
  5. ↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. p. 120, 220. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  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.

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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