Idel'son (crater)
Encyclopedia
Idel'son is a lunar
crater
that is located on the far side of the Moon
. It lies just behind the southern lunar limb, in a region that is sometimes brought into view of the Earth
due to libration
. Idel'son is situated to the southwest of the huge walled plain Schrödinger
.
The northern rim of Idel'son is overlain by the larger crater Ganswindt
, reversing the usual order of smaller craters on top of larger impacts usually seen on the Moon. The outer glacis
of Ganswindt covers nearly half the interior floor of Idel'son, reaching to the mid-point. The remainder of the interior and rim of the crater has been partly overlain by ejecta, producing a rounded, lumpy surface. Still the surviving outer rim remains distinct, and is not overlain by any other impacts of note. The largest impact within the interior is a tiny crater next to the southeastern inner wall.
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 on the far side 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...
. It lies just behind the southern lunar limb, in a region that is sometimes brought into view of the 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...
due to 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:...
. Idel'son is situated to the southwest of the huge walled plain Schrödinger
Schrödinger (crater)
Schrödinger is a huge lunar impact crater of the form traditionally called a walled plain and is named after Erwin Schrödinger. It is located near the south lunar pole on the far side of the Moon, and can only be viewed from orbit. The smaller crater Ganswindt is attached to the southwestern rim of...
.
The northern rim of Idel'son is overlain by the larger crater Ganswindt
Ganswindt (crater)
Ganswindt is a lunar crater that lies near the southern pole of the Moon's far side. It is attached to the southwestern exterior of the huge walled plain Schrödinger. Ganswindt partly overlies the smaller crater Idel'son to the south....
, reversing the usual order of smaller craters on top of larger impacts usually seen on the Moon. The outer glacis
Glacis
A glacis in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth used in late European fortresses so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders until the last possible moment...
of Ganswindt covers nearly half the interior floor of Idel'son, reaching to the mid-point. The remainder of the interior and rim of the crater has been partly overlain by ejecta, producing a rounded, lumpy surface. Still the surviving outer rim remains distinct, and is not overlain by any other impacts of note. The largest impact within the interior is a tiny crater next to the southeastern inner wall.
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 Idel'son.| Idel'son | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | 84.2° S | 115.8° E | 28 km |