Harkhebi (crater)
Encyclopedia
Harkhebi is a large lunar
crater
of the category termed a walled plain. Half of the crater to the north-northwest is overlain by the walled plain Fabry
, a large formation in its own right. Attached to the northwestern rim is the much smaller crater Vashakidze
. To the southwest lies Vestine
, and to the south is Richardson
.
What survives of the outer rim of Harkhebi is worn and eroded by impacts, leaving little of the original formation intact. To the southeast, sections of the rim are overlain by the satellite craters Harkhebi J and Harkhebi K. The remainder of the rim is irregular in form, creating an arc of rugged ridges, incisions, and small craters. Most of the interior floor is also uneven and rough in places, although somewhat less so than the surrounding terrain. Several small, bowl-shaped craters lie across the interior floor, including Harkhebi H next to the southern rim of Fabry.
Just to the southeast of Harkhebi is the young crater Giordano Bruno
, a formation with a relatively high albedo
lying at the center of a ray system
. Streaks of this ray material lie across several parts of the interior floor of Harkhebi, and one of the rays spans the floor from southeast to northwest.
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 category termed a walled plain. Half of the crater to the north-northwest is overlain by the walled plain Fabry
Fabry (crater)
Fabry is a large lunar crater of the form termed a walled plain. It is located on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northeastern limb. Parts of this area are sometimes brought into view by the effects of libration, but the terrain is seen from the edge and so not much in the way of detail...
, a large formation in its own right. Attached to the northwestern rim is the much smaller crater Vashakidze
Vashakidze (crater)
Vashakidze is a lunar impact crater that is located on the Moon's far side, just beyond the northeastern limb. This area of the surface is not completely hidden from the Earth, however, as suitable combinations of libration and sunlight will bring it into view. The southeastern rim of this crater...
. To the southwest lies Vestine
Vestine (crater)
Vestine is a heavily eroded impact crater on the Moon's far side, just beyond the northeastern limb. It lies to the southwest of the large walled plain Harkhebi, and to the northwest of the Maxwell–Richardson crater pair....
, and to the south is Richardson
Richardson (lunar crater)
Richardson is a large lunar crater located on the Moon's far side, just behind the eastern limb. It lies to the south of the huge walled plain Harkhebi, and to the east-southeast of the crater Vestine. Just to the northeast is Szilard, and to the southeast is Artamonov.A substantial portion of the...
.
What survives of the outer rim of Harkhebi is worn and eroded by impacts, leaving little of the original formation intact. To the southeast, sections of the rim are overlain by the satellite craters Harkhebi J and Harkhebi K. The remainder of the rim is irregular in form, creating an arc of rugged ridges, incisions, and small craters. Most of the interior floor is also uneven and rough in places, although somewhat less so than the surrounding terrain. Several small, bowl-shaped craters lie across the interior floor, including Harkhebi H next to the southern rim of Fabry.
Just to the southeast of Harkhebi is the young crater Giordano Bruno
Giordano Bruno (crater)
Giordano Bruno is a 22 km lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northeastern limb. At this location it lies in an area that can be viewed during a favorable libration, although at such times the area is viewed from the side and not much detail can be seen...
, a formation with a relatively high 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...
lying at the center of a ray system
Ray system
A ray system comprises radial streaks of fine ejecta thrown out during the formation of an impact crater, looking a bit like many thin spokes coming from the hub of a wheel. The rays can extend for lengths up to several times the diameter of their originating crater, and are often accompanied by...
. Streaks of this ray material lie across several parts of the interior floor of Harkhebi, and one of the rays spans the floor from southeast to northwest.
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 Harkhebi.| Harkhebi | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| H | 39.3° N | 99.8° E | 30 km |
| J | 37.4° N | 103.4° E | 40 km |
| K | 35.7° N | 100.8° E | 27 km |
| T | 40.1° N | 95.7° E | 16 km |
| U | 40.8° N | 97.0° E | 18 km |
| W | 43.5° N | 95.7° E | 17 km |