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Compton (crater)
Encyclopedia
Compton is a prominent lunar
crater
that is located in the northern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon
. It lies to the east of the Mare Humboldtianum
, and southwest of the walled plain Schwarzschild
. To the southeast of Compton is the heavily eroded crater Swann
.
This formation is roughly circular, with a wide, irregular outer rim that varies considerably in width. Parts of the inner wall have terraced steps that form wide shelves along the edge. Within the wall is a floor that has been resurfaced by lava
flows some time in the past. This surface has a lower albedo
than the surroundings, giving it a slightly darker hue.
At the mid-point of the floor is a formation of mounts that comprise the central peak. This peak is surrounded by a semi-circular ring of hills that lie in the western half of the crater at a radius about half that of the inner edge of the rim. These mounts form jagged rises through the lava
-covered surface and lie at irregular intervals from each other.
The interior also contains a set of slender rille
s within the ring of hills, primarily in the northwest part of the crater floor. Apart from a small, bowl-shaped craterlet near the eastern rim, the floor only contains a few tiny craterlets.
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 in the northern hemisphere on the far side 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...
. It lies to the east of the Mare Humboldtianum
Mare Humboldtianum
Mare Humboldtianum is a lunar mare located within the Humboldtianum basin, just to the east of Mare Frigoris. It is located along the northeastern limb of the Moon, and continues on to the far side...
, and southwest of the walled plain Schwarzschild
Schwarzschild (crater)
Schwarzschild is a large lunar impact crater that islocated in the northern part of the Moon's far side. The nearest craters of note are Seares to the northeast, and Gamow to the southeast....
. To the southeast of Compton is the heavily eroded crater Swann
Swann (crater)
Swann is a lunar crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, to the southeast of the prominent crater Compton. This is a heavily worn and battered formation that is now scarcely recognizable as a crater. The terrain along the rim and the interior resembles the surrounding surface, being...
.
This formation is roughly circular, with a wide, irregular outer rim that varies considerably in width. Parts of the inner wall have terraced steps that form wide shelves along the edge. Within the wall is a floor that has been resurfaced by lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flows some time in the past. This surface has a lower albedo
Albedo
Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
than the surroundings, giving it a slightly darker hue.
At the mid-point of the floor is a formation of mounts that comprise the central peak. This peak is surrounded by a semi-circular ring of hills that lie in the western half of the crater at a radius about half that of the inner edge of the rim. These mounts form jagged rises through the lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
-covered surface and lie at irregular intervals from each other.
The interior also contains a set of slender rille
Rille
Rille is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the lunar surface that resemble channels. Typically a rille can be up to several kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers in length...
s within the ring of hills, primarily in the northwest part of the crater floor. Apart from a small, bowl-shaped craterlet near the eastern rim, the floor only contains a few tiny craterlets.
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 Compton.| Compton | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 55.4° N | 113.4° E | 19 km |
| R | 52.6° N | 91.5° E | 37 km |
| W | 58.6° N | 97.2° E | 16 km |