Olcott is a relatively fresh crater on the far side of the Moon.[1] It was named after American astronomer William Tyler Olcott.[2] It lies to the south-southeast of the craters Seyfert and Polzunov, and to the north of Kostinskiy.
 Oblique Apollo 16 image, facing northwest | |
| Coordinates | 20°36′N 117°48′E / 20.6°N 117.8°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 81 km |
| Colongitude | 243° at sunrise |
| Eponym | William T. Olcott |
This formation dates to the Eratosthenian epoch of the lunar geologic timescale.[3] It lacks any significant appearance of erosion from subsequent impacts, and its features are relatively well-defined. The rim edge is generally circular, with a slight outward bulge to the northeast and a larger bulge to the south. It has an outer rampart and some terraces and slumped edges along the inner wall.
Several low ridges lie near the interior midpoint, with the western pair near the center and the eastern peaks offset towards the eastern rim. The infrared spectrum of pure crystalline plagioclase has been identified on the central rises.[4]
The satellite craters Olcott M and Olcott L form an overlapping pair along the southern outer rampart of Olcott, with the smaller member of the pair Olcott L overlapping Olcott M. The satellite crater Olcott E is partly overlain by the eastern rim of Olcott.
Prior to naming in 1970 by the IAU,[5] this crater was known as Crater 209.[6]
Satellite craters
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By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Olcott.
| Olcott | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 20.9° N | 119.8° E | 59 km |
| L | 18.3° N | 118.6° E | 36 km |
| M | 17.9° N | 117.6° E | 46 km |
References
edit- ↑ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.
- ↑ "Olcott (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Olcott, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
- ↑ Lunar Farside Chart (LFC-1A)
Sources
edit- 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.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - 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.
External links
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