Morse (crater)

Morse
LRO image
Coordinates22°06′N 175°06′W / 22.1°N 175.1°W / 22.1; -175.1
Diameter77 km
DepthUnknown
Colongitude176° at sunrise
EponymSamuel F. B. Morse
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 2 image

Morse is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon and cannot be seen directly from the Earth.[1] The crater lies at the northeast margin of the Freundlich-Sharonov Basin. It lies about one crater diameter to the southwest of the larger Fitzgerald. To the west-northwest of Morse is Dante.

This formation dates to the Eratosthenian epoch of the lunar geologic timescale.[2] It is a relatively well-defined crater with features that have not been markedly eroded by subsequent impacts. There is a small crater along the southeastern rim, however, and the southern rim is somewhat disrupted. The rim edge is uneven in places and there are terrace features along the inner walls to the northeast and west. The interior floor, while generally level, has a number of low irregularities forming small hills. The infrared spectrum of pure crystalline plagioclase has been identified on the central peak.[3]

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 Morse.

Morse Latitude Longitude Diameter
N 20.2° N 176.1° W 25 km
T 22.0° N 179.5° W 34 km

References

  1. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.
  2. ↑ Tompkins, Stefanie; Pieters, Carle M. (January 1999). "Mineralogy of the lunar crust: Results from Clementine". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. 34 (1): 25–41. Bibcode:1999M&PS...34...25T. doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01729.x.
  3. ↑ 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.

Sources