Goldschmidt (crater)
Encyclopedia
Goldschmidt is a large lunar
crater
of the variety commonly termed a walled plain. It lies in the northern part of the Moon's near side, and appears oval in shape due to foreshortening. The rim is actually relatively circular, although the western rim is overlain by the prominent crater Anaxagoras
. Nearly attached to the southeast rim is Barrow
, and the two formations are separated by a rugged rise about 30 kilometers across. Further to the south is Epigenes
.
The heavily eroded outer rim of Goldschmidt is rugged and irregular, with an inner wall that is incised in several locations by small impacts. Much of the western rim no longer exists, due to the overlapping Anaxagoras and the smaller Anaxagoras A, and the ejecta from these formations covers the western third of the interior floor. The remaining floor is nearly level and flat, most likely having been resurfaced by lava
flows. However the surface is now pock-marked by a multitude of tiny craterlets, the most prominent being the small Goldschmidt A.
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...
of the variety commonly termed a walled plain. It lies in the northern part of the Moon's near side, and appears oval in shape due to foreshortening. The rim is actually relatively circular, although the western rim is overlain by the prominent crater Anaxagoras
Anaxagoras (crater)
Anaxagoras is a young lunar impact crater that is located near the north pole of the Moon. It lies across the larger and more heavily worn crater Goldschmidt. To the south-southeast is Epigenes, and due south is the worn remains of Birmingham....
. Nearly attached to the southeast rim is Barrow
Barrow (crater)
Barrow is an old lunar crater that is located near the northern limb of the Moon. It lies between the crater Goldschmidt to the northwest and the irregular formation Meton to the northeast. To the southwest is W. Bond....
, and the two formations are separated by a rugged rise about 30 kilometers across. Further to the south is Epigenes
Epigenes (crater)
Epigenes is a lunar crater that is located in the north part of the Moon, and is sufficiently close to the northern limb to appear significantly foreshortened from the Earth. It lies just to the northwest of the remains of the walled plain W. Bond. Due north of Epigenes is Goldschmidt, and the...
.
The heavily eroded outer rim of Goldschmidt is rugged and irregular, with an inner wall that is incised in several locations by small impacts. Much of the western rim no longer exists, due to the overlapping Anaxagoras and the smaller Anaxagoras A, and the ejecta from these formations covers the western third of the interior floor. The remaining floor is nearly level and flat, most likely having 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. However the surface is now pock-marked by a multitude of tiny craterlets, the most prominent being the small Goldschmidt A.
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 Goldschmidt.| Goldschmidt | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 72.5° N | 2.5° W | 7 km |
| B | 70.6° N | 6.7° W | 10 km |
| C | 71.1° N | 6.0° W | 7 km |
| D | 75.3° N | 7.7° W | 14 km |