Mersenius (crater)
Encyclopedia
Mersenius is a lunar
crater
that is located to the west of the Mare Humorum
, in the southwestern part of the Moon
. To the southwest is the crater Cavendish
, and to the south-southeast lies Liebig
. Mersenius is 84 kilometers in diameter and 2.3 kilometers deep. It is from the Nectarian
period, 3.92 to 3.85 billion years ago.
The rim of Mersenius is heavily worn, especially in the low northern section. The crater Mersenius N lies across the southwestern rim. The interior has been flooded by basalt
ic lava
, which bulges upwards forming a convex domed shape with an estimated height of 450 metres relative to the floor edges. This was most likely formed by lava upwelling beneath the surface. There are several tiny craterlets across the floor surface, but little in the way of a central peak. At least two faint rille
s lie along the surface of the floor.
To the east of the crater on the surface and edges of the Mare Humorum is a rille
system designated Rimae Mersenius. These rilles are generally parallel and run to the north-northeast for a length of about 230 kilometers.
The crater is named after the 17th-century French philosopher and physicist Marin Mersenne
.
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 to the west of the Mare Humorum
Mare Humorum
Mare Humorum is a lunar mare. The impact basin it is located in is 825 kilometers across. It was not sampled by the Apollo program, so a precise age has not been determined. However, geological mapping indicates that it is intermediate in age between the Imbrium and Nectaris Basins, suggesting an...
, in the southwestern part 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...
. To the southwest is the crater Cavendish
Cavendish (crater)
Cavendish is a lunar crater that is located in the southwest part of the Moon, to the southwest of the larger crater Mersenius. It lies between the smaller craters Henry to the west-northwest and de Gasparis to the east-southeast....
, and to the south-southeast lies Liebig
Liebig (crater)
Liebig is a lunar crater that is located to the south-southeast of the crater Mersenius, and west of the Mare Humorum in the southwest part of the Moon. To the southwest of Liebig is the slightly smaller crater de Gasparis....
. Mersenius is 84 kilometers in diameter and 2.3 kilometers deep. It is from the Nectarian
Nectarian
The Nectarian Period of the lunar geologic timescale runs from 3920 million years ago to 3850 million years ago. It is the period during which the Nectaris Basin and other major basins were formed by large impact events...
period, 3.92 to 3.85 billion years ago.
The rim of Mersenius is heavily worn, especially in the low northern section. The crater Mersenius N lies across the southwestern rim. The interior has been flooded by basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic 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...
, which bulges upwards forming a convex domed shape with an estimated height of 450 metres relative to the floor edges. This was most likely formed by lava upwelling beneath the surface. There are several tiny craterlets across the floor surface, but little in the way of a central peak. At least two faint rille
Rille
Rille is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the lunar surface that resemble channels. Typically a rille can be up to several kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers in length...
s lie along the surface of the floor.
To the east of the crater on the surface and edges of the Mare Humorum is a rille
Rille
Rille is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the lunar surface that resemble channels. Typically a rille can be up to several kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers in length...
system designated Rimae Mersenius. These rilles are generally parallel and run to the north-northeast for a length of about 230 kilometers.
The crater is named after the 17th-century French philosopher and physicist Marin Mersenne
Marin Mersenne
Marin Mersenne, Marin Mersennus or le Père Mersenne was a French theologian, philosopher, mathematician and music theorist, often referred to as the "father of acoustics"...
.
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 Mersenius.| Mersenius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 21.0° S | 51.6° W | 15 km |
| C | 19.8° S | 45.9° W | 14 km |
| D | 23.1° S | 46.8° W | 34 km |
| E | 22.5° S | 46.0° W | 10 km |
| H | 22.5° S | 49.9° W | 15 km |
| J | 21.0° S | 52.8° W | 5 km |
| K | 21.2° S | 50.7° W | 5 km |
| L | 19.9° S | 48.4° W | 3 km |
| M | 21.2° S | 48.3° W | 5 km |
| N | 22.1° S | 49.2° W | 3 km |
| P | 19.9° S | 47.8° W | 42 km |
| R | 19.3° S | 47.6° W | 4 km |
| S | 19.2° S | 46.9° W | 16 km |
| U | 23.0° S | 50.0° W | 4 km |
| V | 22.9° S | 50.5° W | 5 km |
| W | 23.0° S | 50.8° W | 5 km |
| X | 22.4° S | 47.9° W | 4 km |
| Y | 22.7° S | 48.2° W | 4 km |
| Z | 21.0° S | 50.6° W | 3 km |