Gutenberg (crater)
Encyclopedia
Gutenberg is a lunar
crater
that lies along the west edge of Mare Fecunditatis
, in the eastern part of the visible Moon
. To the southeast is the crater Goclenius
, and to the southeast are Magelhaens
and Colombo
. To the west-southwest is the crater Gaudibert
, across the Montes Pyrenaeus
that run south from Gutenberg.
The rim of Gutenberg is worn and eroded, most notably in the east where it is broken by the overlapping crater Gutenberg E. This crater in turn has gaps in its southeast and southwest rims, forming a passage to the lunar mare
to the east. There are also clefts and valleys in the southern rim where it joins Gutenberg C. The craterlet Gutenberg A intrudes into the southwest rim.
The floors of Gutenberg and Gutenberg E have been flooded in the past by lava
, forming a relatively flat plain across the bottom. This surface is broken across the northeast by a pair of clefts that form a part of the Rimae Goclenius. These extend northwest from the Goclenius region. The central rise of Gutenberg is a semi-circular range of hills that are the most prominent in the south, and the concave part lies open to the east. The floor is otherwise not marred by any significant 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 lies along the west edge of Mare Fecunditatis
Mare Fecunditatis
Mare Fecunditatis is a lunar mare which is 840 km in diameter. The Fecuditatis basin formed in the Pre-Nectarian epoch, while the basin material surrounding the mare is of the...
, in the eastern part of the visible 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...
. To the southeast is the crater Goclenius
Goclenius (crater)
Goclenius is a lunar crater that is located near the west edge of Mare Fecunditatis. It lies to the southeast of the lava-flooded crater Gutenberg, and north of Magelhaens. To the northwest is a parallel rille system that follow a course toward the northwest, running for a length of up to 240...
, and to the southeast are Magelhaens
Magelhaens (lunar crater)
Magelhaens is a lunar crater that lies along the southwestern edge of the Mare Fecunditatis, in the eastern part of the Moon's near side. It lies to the south-southwest of the crater Goclenius, about midway between Gutenberg to the northwest and Colombo to the southeast.This crater has a somewhat...
and Colombo
Colombo (crater)
Colombo is a lunar impact crater that lies on the strip of rough continental terrain between Mare Fecunditatis to the east and Mare Nectaris in the west. It is located to the south of the crater Goclenius, and northwest of Cook....
. To the west-southwest is the crater Gaudibert
Gaudibert (crater)
Gaudibert is a lunar crater that lies along the northeast edge of Mare Nectaris in the eastern part of the Moon's near side. Just to the east is the Montes Pyrenaeus mountain chain, and to the northeast beyond the mountains is the crater Gutenberg...
, across the Montes Pyrenaeus
Montes Pyrenaeus
Montes Pyrenaeus is a mountain range on the Moon. The range begins at the southwestern rim of the flooded crater Gutenberg at the northern end and extends southward bordering the eastern edge of Mare Nectaris....
that run south from Gutenberg.
The rim of Gutenberg is worn and eroded, most notably in the east where it is broken by the overlapping crater Gutenberg E. This crater in turn has gaps in its southeast and southwest rims, forming a passage to the lunar mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
to the east. There are also clefts and valleys in the southern rim where it joins Gutenberg C. The craterlet Gutenberg A intrudes into the southwest rim.
The floors of Gutenberg and Gutenberg E have been flooded 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...
, forming a relatively flat plain across the bottom. This surface is broken across the northeast by a pair of clefts that form a part of the Rimae Goclenius. These extend northwest from the Goclenius region. The central rise of Gutenberg is a semi-circular range of hills that are the most prominent in the south, and the concave part lies open to the east. The floor is otherwise not marred by any significant 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 Gutenberg.| Gutenberg | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9.0° S | 39.9° E | 15 km |
| B | 9.1° S | 38.3° E | 15 km |
| C | 10.0° S | 41.1° E | 45 km |
| D | 10.9° S | 42.8° E | 20 km |
| E | 8.2° S | 42.4° E | 28 km |
| F | 10.2° S | 42.6° E | 8 km |
| G | 6.0° S | 40.0° E | 32 km |
| H | 6.7° S | 39.0° E | 5 km |
| K | 7.2° S | 40.8° E | 6 km |