Hercules (crater)

Hercules
	Mosaic of Lunar Orbiter 4 images
Coordinates	46°49′N 39°13′E / 46.82°N 39.21°E
Diameter	68.32 km
Depth	3.2 km
Colongitude	322° at sunrise
Formation	Eratosthenian
Eponym	Hercules

Oblique view of Atlas and Hercules from Apollo 16

Atlas (upper right) and Hercules (lower left) Lunar craters

Atlas and Hercules at center, near the terminator as viewed from Earth

Hercules is a prominent crater located in the northeast part of the Moon, to the west of the crater Atlas.^[2] It lies along the east edge of a southward extension in the Mare Frigoris. To the west across the mare is Bürg. To the south is the ruined crater Williams.

On the lunar geologic timescale, Hercules is a crater of Eratosthenian age.^[1] The interior walls of Hercules have multiple terraces, and there is a small outer rampart. The crater floor has been flooded by lava in the past, and contains several areas of low albedo. The central peak has been buried, leaving only a low hill near the midpoint. The satellite crater Hercules G is located prominently just to the south of the center. The small crater Hercules E lies along the southern rim of Hercules.

The name Hercules was formally recognized by the IAU in 1935.^[3]

Since 1900, this crater has been reported as the site of one instance of transient lunar phenomenon.^[4]

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 Hercules.

Hercules	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
B	47.8° N	36.6° E	9 km
C	42.7° N	35.3° E	9 km
D	44.8° N	39.7° E	8 km
E	45.7° N	38.5° E	9 km
F	50.3° N	41.7° E	14 km
G	46.4° N	39.2° E	14 km
H	51.2° N	40.9° E	7 km
J	44.1° N	36.4° E	8 km
K	44.2° N	36.9° E	7 km

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

Hercules A — See Keldysh.^[5]

References

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 12.2.
↑ Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. pp. 108, 154–159. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3
↑ "Hercules". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
↑ Crotts, Arlin P. S. (April 30, 2009). "Transient Lunar Phenomena: Regularity and Reality". The Astrophysical Journal. 697 (1): 4. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/697/1/1.
↑ Moore, Patrick; Rees, Robin (2014). Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy (2 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-139-49522-6.

Sources

Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (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.
Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
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.
Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.

[Wilhelms_et_al_1987-1] 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 12.2.

[Webb_1962-2] Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. pp. 108, 154–159. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3

[GPN-3] "Hercules". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.

[Crotts_2009-4] Crotts, Arlin P. S. (April 30, 2009). "Transient Lunar Phenomena: Regularity and Reality". The Astrophysical Journal. 697 (1): 4. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/697/1/1.

[Moore_Rees_2014-5] Moore, Patrick; Rees, Robin (2014). Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy (2 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-139-49522-6.

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[5]

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