Babbage (crater)
Encyclopedia
Babbage is an ancient lunar
crater
that is located near the northwest limb of the Moon
, named after Charles Babbage
. It is attached to the southeastern rim of the prominent crater Pythagoras
. The crater remnant named South
intrudes into the southeastern floor of Babbage.
The outer rim of Babbage has been eroded and modified by a multitude of subsequent impacts, until all that remains is a ring of rounded hills. The most notable of these modifications is the satellite crater Babbage E, which overlays the southwestern rim. The northeast rim of this satellite crater is missing, and it forms a bay on the perimeter of Babbage. Oenopides
is another worn formation attached to the southwest edge of this protuberance.
The outer rampart of Pythagoras lies across the floor of Babbage, forming a region of rough terrain in the northwest part of the interior. The remainder of the crater floor is relatively flat, although it is marked by many tiny craterlets. The most notable feature on the floor is the satellite crater Babbage A, which lies in the southeast part of the interior. This feature has not been significantly worn, and appears much younger than the remainder of the formation. Just to the west of Babbage A is the smaller Babbage C, a bowl-shaped formation.
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
that is located near the northwest limb of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, named after Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage, FRS was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer...
. It is attached to the southeastern rim of the prominent crater Pythagoras
Pythagoras (crater)
Pythagoras is a prominent impact crater located near the northwestern lunar limb. It lies just to the northwest of the somewhat larger Babbage. The crater has an oval appearance due to the oblique viewing angle...
. The crater remnant named South
South (lunar crater)
South is a large lunar crater that is located in the northwest part of the Moon. Most of the southern wall of this crater is joined to the Sinus Roris bay of the Oceanus Procellarum, with the southeast rim facing Mare Frigoris. Attached to the northwest of the formation is the larger walled plain...
intrudes into the southeastern floor of Babbage.
The outer rim of Babbage has been eroded and modified by a multitude of subsequent impacts, until all that remains is a ring of rounded hills. The most notable of these modifications is the satellite crater Babbage E, which overlays the southwestern rim. The northeast rim of this satellite crater is missing, and it forms a bay on the perimeter of Babbage. Oenopides
Oenopides (crater)
Oenopides is a lunar crater that is located near the northwestern limb of the Moon, and so appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth. This formation lies due south of the prominent crater Pythagoras, and is attached to the southwest rim of Babbage E. The southwest rim of Oenopides is part of...
is another worn formation attached to the southwest edge of this protuberance.
The outer rampart of Pythagoras lies across the floor of Babbage, forming a region of rough terrain in the northwest part of the interior. The remainder of the crater floor is relatively flat, although it is marked by many tiny craterlets. The most notable feature on the floor is the satellite crater Babbage A, which lies in the southeast part of the interior. This feature has not been significantly worn, and appears much younger than the remainder of the formation. Just to the west of Babbage A is the smaller Babbage C, a bowl-shaped formation.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Babbage.| Babbage | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 59.0° N | 55.1° W | 32 km |
| B | 57.1° N | 59.7° W | 7 km |
| C | 59.1° N | 57.3° W | 14 km |
| D | 58.6° N | 61.0° W | 68 km |
| E | 58.5° N | 61.4° W | 7 km |
| U | 60.9° N | 51.3° W | 5 km |
| X | 60.2° N | 49.9° W | 5 km |