Helicon (crater)
 Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 40°24′N 23°06′W / 40.4°N 23.1°W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25 km |
| Depth | 0.5 km |
| Colongitude | 23° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Helicon of Cyzicus |
Helicon is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the north part of the Mare Imbrium. The crater was named after 4th century BC Greek astronomer Helicon of Cyzicus,[1] a friend and disciple of Plato.[2] To the northwest is the prominent Sinus Iridum, a mountain-ringed bay on the mare. Just to the east is the slightly smaller crater Le Verrier.
Helicon is a nearly circular formation with inner walls that curve down to a relatively flat floor. There is a tiny craterlet located at the midpoint of the interior, and a small craterlet along the southwestern rim.
Satellite craters[edit]
According to convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Helicon.
| Helicon | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 38.0° N | 21.3° W | 6 km |
| C | 40.1° N | 26.2° W | 1 km |
| E | 40.5° N | 24.1° W | 3 km |
| G | 41.7° N | 24.9° W | 2 km |
References[edit]
- ^ "Helicon (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ^
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Mason, Charles Peter (1870). "Helicon". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 2. p. 372.
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- 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. 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.
- 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[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Helicon (crater).
- Wood, Chuck (2006-08-20). "Out the Porthole". Lunar Photo of the Day. Retrieved 2016-09-18., excellent earth-based image of Sinus Iridum and vicinity, including Helicon and Le Verrier