Werner (crater)

Werner
Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates28°00′S 3°18′E / 28.0°S 3.3°E / -28.0; 3.3
Diameter70 km
Depth4.2[1] km
Colongitude357° at sunrise
FormationEratosthenian[2]
EponymJohannes Werner

Werner is a prominent lunar impact crater that lies in the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon. British astronomer T. W. Webb called this "one of the loftiest rings" on the visible Moon.[3] It was named after the 15th-century German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Werner.[4] It is almost joined with the crater Aliacensis to the southeast, and the pair form a rugged valley in the intervening gap. Due west of Werner is the distorted Regiomontanus, and to the north is the remains of Blanchinus.

On the lunar geologic timescale, this crater is from the Eratosthenian period, which lasted from 3.2 to 1.1 billion years ago.[2] The rim of Werner shows little appearance of wear, and is much younger and less eroded than the other large craters in the surroundings. The interior wall is terraced, and there is a noticeable rampart on the exterior. There are several low rises on the crater floor and a notable central peak. Its highly terraced walls attain peaks of almost 1,500 feet. The crater is 45 miles (70 kilometers) in diameter, and the difference in height between its rim and its deepest parts is 4.2 kilometers.[5][6][7]

Near the Werner crater, a chiaroscuro effect created by the dark craters and their lit rims is visible for several hours before first quarter forms an X.[8]

Satellite craters

Satellite craters of Werner

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Werner.[9]: 315 

Werner Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 27.2° S 1.1° E 15 km
B 26.2° S 0.7° E 13 km
D 27.1° S 3.2° E 2 km
E 27.4° S 0.8° E 7 km
F 25.8° S 0.8° E 10 km
G 27.6° S 1.3° E 9 km
H 26.6° S 1.5° E 16 km

References

  1. ↑ Pike, R. J. (September 1976). "Crater Dimensions from Apollo Data and Supplemental Sources". The Moon. 15 (3–4): 463–477. Bibcode:1976Moon...15..463P. doi:10.1007/BF00562253.
  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 12.2.
  3. ↑ Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. pp. 142, 154–159. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3
  4. ↑ "Werner (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  5. ↑ Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
  6. ↑ Autostar Suite Astronomer Edition. CD-ROM. Meade, April 2006.
  7. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-304-35469-4.
  8. ↑ Chapman, David M. F. (April 2007). "The Lunar X Files: a fleeting vision near the crater Werner" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 101 (2): 51. Bibcode:2007JRASC.101...51C. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
  9. ↑ Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
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