Cyrano (crater)

Cyrano
Lunar Orbiter 2 image
Coordinates20°30′S 157°42′E / 20.5°S 157.7°E / -20.5; 157.7
Diameter79.58 km (49.45 mi)[1]
DepthUnknown
Colongitude204° at sunrise
FormationPre-Nectarian[2]
EponymCyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano from Apollo 15
Oblique view of Cyrano from Apollo 17

Cyrano is a worn lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon.[3] It lies due east of a huge walled plain called Gagarin, and to the north of the somewhat smaller crater Barbier.[4]

On the lunar geologic timescale, this crater dates to the Pre-Nectarian epoch.[2] The most notable aspect of this crater are the small impacts along the western and southwest rim, with the pear-shaped Cyrano P forming the later intrusion into the interior. The remainder of the rim has received some wear, and is particularly eroded at the northern end.[5]: 103  The floor has perhaps a relatively thin covering of basaltic lava.[4] There are a few small craters within the interior, with a merged crater pair near the eastern side and a crater along the northeast inner wall. The northern half of the interior floor is slightly more irregular than the southern part.

This crater is named after French author and playwright Cyrano de Bergerac (1615–1655).[6] Its designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1970.[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 Cyrano.[7]

Cyrano[5]: 296  Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 18.1° S 158.6° E 26 km
B 18.3° S 159.7° E 23 km
D 19.6° S 162.2° E 24 km
E 20.1° S 161.2° E 21 km
P 21.6° S 156.8° E 19 km

References

  1. 1 2 "Cyrano". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  2. 1 2 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. doi:10.3133/pp1348. Table 8.3.
  3. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.
  4. 1 2 Byrne, Charles J. (2008). The Far Side of the Moon. Springer. pp. 80, 89. ISBN 978-1-4899-8806-5.
  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.
  7. ↑ 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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