Goddard (crater)
Encyclopedia
Goddard is a lunar
crater
that is located along the eastern limb of the Moon
, and so is visible from the edge from Earth
. It is best viewed during favorable libration
s when the orientation of the Moon brings it further into sight. The crater is located in the Mare Marginis
, to the northeast of the prominent crater Neper
. Ibn Yunus
, a crater remnant, is attached to the southeastern rim, and is partly overlaid by Goddard. To the northeast is Al-Biruni
.
The rim of Goddard has nearly been destroyed along the southern edge, and the interior floor is connected to the surrounding mare through gaps in this section of the wall. The remainder of the rim is significantly eroded and worn, leaving only a ring of rugged ground surrounding the inner floor.
The floor of the crater has been resurfaced in the past by lava
floods, leaving the interior nearly flat and featureless. There is no central peak, and only a few tiny craterlets mark the surface. The most prominent of these is a matched pair of small craterlets in the south-southwest part of the floor.
This feature is named after the pioneering rocket scientist Robert H. Goddard
.
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 along the eastern 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...
, and so is visible from the edge from 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...
. It is best viewed during favorable 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:...
s when the orientation of the Moon brings it further into sight. The crater is located in the Mare Marginis
Mare Marginis
Mare Marginis is a lunar mare that lies on the very edge of the lunar nearside. The selenographic coordinates of this feature are 13.3° N, 86.1° E, and the diameter is 420 km. The name is Latin for "Sea of the Edge"....
, to the northeast of the prominent crater Neper
Neper (crater)
Neper is an old lunar impact crater located near the eastern limb of the Moon. Due to its location the crater must be viewed during a suitable libration, and is very foreshortened. The crater lies on the south edge of Mare Marginis, to the east of the crater Jansky...
. Ibn Yunus
Ibn Yunus (crater)
Ibn Yunus is the remains of a flooded lunar crater. It lies on the far side of the Moon, just past the eastern limb. It can only be viewed from Earth under conditions of favorable libration and lighting, and even then it is seen from the edge. This feature is attached to the east-southeastern outer...
, a crater remnant, is attached to the southeastern rim, and is partly overlaid by Goddard. To the northeast is Al-Biruni
Al-Biruni (crater)
Al-Biruni is an impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the eastern limb. This portion of the surface is sometimes brought into sight due to librations of the Moon, but due to its location the crater is viewed from the side...
.
The rim of Goddard has nearly been destroyed along the southern edge, and the interior floor is connected to the surrounding mare through gaps in this section of the wall. The remainder of the rim is significantly eroded and worn, leaving only a ring of rugged ground surrounding the inner floor.
The floor of the crater has been resurfaced in the past 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...
floods, leaving the interior nearly flat and featureless. There is no central peak, and only a few tiny craterlets mark the surface. The most prominent of these is a matched pair of small craterlets in the south-southwest part of the floor.
This feature is named after the pioneering rocket scientist Robert H. Goddard
Robert H. Goddard
Robert Hutchings Goddard was an American professor, physicist and inventor who is credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which he successfully launched on March 16, 1926...
.
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 Goddard.| Goddard | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 17.0° N | 89.6° E | 12 km |
| B | 16.0° N | 86.8° E | 12 km |
| C | 16.5° N | 85.1° E | 49 km |