Gauss (crater)
Encyclopedia
Gauss is a large lunar
crater
, named after Carl Friedrich Gauss
, that is located near the northeastern limb of the Moon
's near side. It belongs to a category of lunar formations called a walled plain, meaning that it has a diameter of at least 110 kilometers, with a somewhat sunken floor and little or no central massif
. Due to its location, this crater appears considerably foreshortened when viewed from the Earth
, and its visibility is affected by libration
.
To the northeast of Gauss is Riemann
, another walled plain that lies even closer to the limb. Southwest of Gauss is the crater pair of Hahn
and Berosus
. Almost directly southward is Seneca
.
The rim of Gauss is better formed in the northern half, and the inner walls have some terracing along the northwest and appear slumped in the northeast. The southern half of the rim is somewhat more eroded.
The interior floor is fairly flat in places, with several craters marking the surface in the southern half. There is also a small crater, Gauss B, lying along the interior of the eastern rim, with the smaller Gauss A lying across the rim just to the northeast of Gauss B. The floor of Gauss is also marked by several clefts, particularly along the eastern and northwestern edges. The uneven crater rims in the south and a series of rises in the north gives the appearance of a ridge line that traverses the crater floor from north to south.
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...
, named after Carl Friedrich Gauss
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician and scientist who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, geophysics, electrostatics, astronomy and optics.Sometimes referred to as the Princeps mathematicorum...
, that is located near the northeastern 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...
's near side. It belongs to a category of lunar formations called a walled plain, meaning that it has a diameter of at least 110 kilometers, with a somewhat sunken floor and little or no central massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
. Due to its location, this crater appears considerably foreshortened when viewed from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, and its visibility is affected by libration
Libration
In astronomy, libration is an oscillating motion of orbiting bodies relative to each other, notably including the motion of the Moon relative to Earth, or of Trojan asteroids relative to planets.-Lunar libration:...
.
To the northeast of Gauss is Riemann
Riemann (crater)
Riemann is a lunar crater that is located near the northeastern limb of the Moon, and can just be observed edge-on when libration effects bring it into sight. It lies to the east-northeast of the large walled plain Gauss. To the southeast, beyond sight on the far side, is the crater Vestine.This is...
, another walled plain that lies even closer to the limb. Southwest of Gauss is the crater pair of Hahn
Hahn (crater)
Hahn is a lunar impact crater that is located near the northeastern limb of the Moon. The crater appears oval when viewed from the Earth due to foreshortening. It is located less than one crater diameter to the southeast of Berosus, a slightly smaller formation.The inner wall of Hahn contains a...
and Berosus
Berosus (crater)
Berosus is a lunar crater that is located in the northeastpart of the Moon, less than one crater diameter northwest of Hahn. Further to the east-northeast is the large crater Gauss, and to the north-northwest lies Bernoulli...
. Almost directly southward is Seneca
Seneca (crater)
Seneca is a lunar crater that is located towards the east-northeastern limb, less than one crater diameter to the north of Plutarch. To the northwest is the crater Hahn, and due north lies the large walled plain Gauss....
.
The rim of Gauss is better formed in the northern half, and the inner walls have some terracing along the northwest and appear slumped in the northeast. The southern half of the rim is somewhat more eroded.
The interior floor is fairly flat in places, with several craters marking the surface in the southern half. There is also a small crater, Gauss B, lying along the interior of the eastern rim, with the smaller Gauss A lying across the rim just to the northeast of Gauss B. The floor of Gauss is also marked by several clefts, particularly along the eastern and northwestern edges. The uneven crater rims in the south and a series of rises in the north gives the appearance of a ridge line that traverses the crater floor from north to south.
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 Gauss.| Gauss | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 36.5° N | 82.7° E | 18 km |
| B | 35.9° N | 81.2° E | 37 km |
| C | 39.7° N | 72.1° E | 29 km |
| D | 39.3° N | 73.8° E | 24 km |
| E | 35.3° N | 77.6° E | 8 km |
| F | 34.8° N | 78.3° E | 20 km |
| G | 34.2° N | 78.6° E | 18 km |
| H | 33.2° N | 77.1° E | 11 km |
| J | 40.6° N | 72.6° E | 14 km |
| W | 34.5° N | 80.2° E | 18 km |