Icarus (crater)
Encyclopedia
Icarus is a lunar
impact crater
that lies on the Moon
's far side. It is located to the west of the huge walled plain Korolev
, and less than two crater diameters to the east of the crater Daedalus
. To the south of Icarus is the smaller Amici
.
Icarus has a worn rim and a relatively wide inner wall. A small crater lies across the southern rim, and the side bulges outward slightly along the southwestern face. There is a disproportionately tall central peak located near the crater mid-point. This rise is unusual in that it is taller than the outer rim; most peaks are only about half the crater depth. The remainder of the floor is relatively flat in the eastern half and slightly more irregular to the west.
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...
impact 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 on 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 far side. It is located to the west of the huge walled plain Korolev
Korolev (lunar crater)
Korolev is a large lunar crater of the walled plain type, named for Soviet rocket engineer Sergey Korolyov. It lies on the far side of the Moon, and the northern part of its floor crosses the lunar equator...
, and less than two crater diameters to the east of the crater Daedalus
Daedalus (crater)
Daedalus is a prominent crater located near the center of the far side of the Moon. The inner wall is terraced, and there is a cluster of central peaks on the relatively flat floor...
. To the south of Icarus is the smaller Amici
Amici (crater)
Amici is a lunar impact crater that is located on the rugged far side of the Moon. It lies to the south of the larger crater Icarus, to the north of McKellar....
.
Icarus has a worn rim and a relatively wide inner wall. A small crater lies across the southern rim, and the side bulges outward slightly along the southwestern face. There is a disproportionately tall central peak located near the crater mid-point. This rise is unusual in that it is taller than the outer rim; most peaks are only about half the crater depth. The remainder of the floor is relatively flat in the eastern half and slightly more irregular to the west.
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 Icarus.| Icarus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 4.3° S | 171.2° W | 68 km |
| E | 5.2° S | 168.8° W | 12 km |
| H | 7.8° S | 169.4° W | 32 km |
| J | 7.3° S | 170.9° W | 32 km |
| Q | 7.8° S | 176.2° W | 41 km |
| V | 3.9° S | 176.0° W | 36 km |
| X | 2.2° S | 175.5° W | 43 km |