Nassau (crater)
Encyclopedia
Nassau is a lunar
impact crater
on the Moon
's far side. It abuts against the northeastern rim of the figure-8-shaped crater Van de Graaff
. To the southeast of Nassau lies the crater Leeuwenhoek
, and to the east is Orlov
.
Nassau has a somewhat eroded crater rim, with small craters lying across the edge along the eastern, northwestern and southwestern sides. Along the southwestern inner wall, where the crater joins Van de Graaff, a ridge of material extends northward part way into the interior floor. The bottom of the crater is nearly level, but is marked by several small craterlets. The most notable of these interior craters lies near the mid-point.
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...
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 abuts against the northeastern rim of the figure-8-shaped crater Van de Graaff
Van de Graaff (crater)
Van de Graaff is an unusual lunar formation that has the appearance of two merged craters, approximately in a figure-8 shape with no intervening rim separating the two halves. The crater is located on the far side of the Moon, on the northeast edge of Mare Ingenii. The crater Birkeland is attached...
. To the southeast of Nassau lies the crater Leeuwenhoek
Leeuwenhoek (crater)
Leeuwenhoek is a lunar impact crater that lies in the Moon's southern hemisphere, on the far side from the Earth. It is located to the east of the crater Birkeland and the unusual double crater Van de Graaff...
, and to the east is Orlov
Orlov (crater)
Orlov is a lunar impact crater. It is located on the Moon's far side, to the northeast of the larger crater Leeuwenhoek. To the north-northwest of Orlov is De Vries, and to the east-southeast is Rumford....
.
Nassau has a somewhat eroded crater rim, with small craters lying across the edge along the eastern, northwestern and southwestern sides. Along the southwestern inner wall, where the crater joins Van de Graaff, a ridge of material extends northward part way into the interior floor. The bottom of the crater is nearly level, but is marked by several small craterlets. The most notable of these interior craters lies near the mid-point.
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 Nassau.| Nassau | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 23.7° S | 179.2° W | 62 km |
| F | 24.7° S | 179.2° W | 112 km |
| Y | 22.5° S | 176.8° E | 38 km |