Merrill (crater)
Encyclopedia
Merrill is a lunar
impact crater
. It is located in the high northern latitude
s, on the far side. Less than one crater diameter to the south-southwest of Merrill is the similar Niepce
, and to the east along the northern limb is the larger Brianchon
.
The outer rim of Merrill is worn and the features are softened, but only a few impact craters lie along the edge and inner side. The inner walls are uneven slopes down to the relatively flat interior floor. This surface is marked by several small craterlets, including a pair near the mid-point. The satellite craters Merrill X and Merrill Y form a merged, dual-lobed feature that is attached to the northern outer rim of Merrill.
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...
. It is located in the high northern latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
s, on the far side. Less than one crater diameter to the south-southwest of Merrill is the similar Niepce
Niepce (crater)
Niepce is a crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies in the high northern latitudes, just behind the north-northwestern limb. Less than a crater diameter to the north is the crater Merrill, and just to the west is Mezentsev. Farther to the south-southeast is Nöther.This is a worn crater...
, and to the east along the northern limb is the larger Brianchon
Brianchon (crater)
Brianchon is a lunar crater that is located along the northwestern limb of the Moon. Due to its location, from the Earth the crater is seen from the edge and its visibility is somewhat affected by libration. Thus for a more detailed view, the crater must be viewed from orbit.This crater lies just...
.
The outer rim of Merrill is worn and the features are softened, but only a few impact craters lie along the edge and inner side. The inner walls are uneven slopes down to the relatively flat interior floor. This surface is marked by several small craterlets, including a pair near the mid-point. The satellite craters Merrill X and Merrill Y form a merged, dual-lobed feature that is attached to the northern outer rim of Merrill.
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 Merrill.| Merrill | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | 77.0° N | 119.2° W | 34 km |
| Y | 76.8° N | 115.4° W | 35 km |