Minkowski (crater)

Minkowski (crater)

Oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 image
Coordinates 56°30′S 146°00′W / 56.5°S 146.0°W / -56.5; -146.0Coordinates: 56°30′S 146°00′W / 56.5°S 146.0°W / -56.5; -146.0
Diameter 113 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 148° at sunrise
Eponym Hermann Minkowski
Rudolph L. B. Minkowski

Minkowski is a lunar crater on the far side of the Moon, in the lower latitudes of the southern hemisphere. It lies about one crater diameter to the north-northeast of Lemaître, a formation of similar dimension. To the northwest of Minkowski is the flooded crater Baldet, and to the southeast lies Fizeau.

The outer rim of Minkowski is heavily eroded, and forms little more than an irregular circular ridge in the surface. Numerous craters lie across the rim, the most prominent being two pairs along the eastern edge. The interior floor is relatively level, with a dark patch in the northeast quadrant that is characteristic of a lava-flooded surface. There is a small bowl-shaped crater located prominently at the midpoint. Minkowski S lies along the southwestern edge of the floor. A number of tiny craterlets mark the interior surface, particularly in the southwest quadrant.

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 Minkowski.

Minkowski Latitude Longitude Diameter
S 56.1° S 145.6° W 13 km

References

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  • McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3. 
  • 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. 
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