Lowell (lunar crater)

Lowell
Coordinates12°54′S 103°06′W / 12.9°S 103.1°W / -12.9; -103.1
Diameter66 km
DepthUnknown
Colongitude104° at sunrise
EponymPercival Lowell
Oblique view from Lunar Orbiter 5 while the crater was at the terminator

Lowell is a lunar impact crater that lies just beyond the western limb on the far side of the Moon.[1] It is embedded within the northwestern part of the Montes Rook mountain ring of the Mare Orientale impact basin. This portion of the Moon's far side is sometimes brought into view of the Earth during periods of favorable libration and lighting, although it is only seen from the edge.

The crater is circular in outline, with a well-defined edge. A small crater lies along the edge of the eastern rim. The infrared spectrum of pure crystalline plagioclase has been identified along the southeastern rim.[2] The inner wall is wider along the western side, and there are some terrace structures. In the middle of the crater is a central peak on the interior floor. The spectra of this peak fits an anorthositic troctolite mineralogy, which originated from a depth of 6.6 to 10.2 km.[3]

Satellite craters

Lowell crater & satellite crater

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Lowell.

Lowell Latitude Longitude Diameter
W 10.0° S 107.0° W 18 km

References

  1. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.
  2. ↑ Donaldson Hanna, K. L.; et al. (July 2014). "Global assessment of pure crystalline plagioclase across the Moon and implications for the evolution of the primary crust". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 119 (7): 1516–1545. Bibcode:2014JGRE..119.1516D. doi:10.1002/2013JE004476.
  3. ↑ Cahill, J. T. S.; et al. (September 2009). "Compositional variations of the lunar crust: Results from radiative transfer modeling of central peak spectra". Journal of Geophysical Research. 114 (E9) E09001. Bibcode:2009JGRE..114.9001C. doi:10.1029/2008JE003282.

Sources