Newton (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Newton is a lunar
crater
located near the south limb of the Moon
. It is south-southwest of the crater Moretus
. To the northeast is Short
, and in the northeast are Casatus
and Klaproth
. Because of its location, the crater appears highly oblong due to foreshortening. It is considered the deepest crater on the near side of the Moon.
The interior of Newton is a picture in contrasts. The southern end has been covered, possibly by lava
flows or ejecta, leaving a relatively flat surface that is marked only by tiny craters and a slight wrinkle ridge down the middle. The northern half is rugged and irregular, with the satellite crater Newton D overlying the north-northeastern rim and extending across nearly half the crater diameter.
The rim in the south is relatively low and narrow, with the smaller crater Newton G partly overlain and flooded by lava. This adjacent crater forms a step up from the interior of Newton, and there is a tiny rille
in the south floor of Newton where it appears as if a channel flowed down the side from Newton G. The other parts of the outer crater wall are much wider than in the south end, particularly in the areas adjacent to Newton D.
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...
located near the south limb 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 is south-southwest of the crater Moretus
Moretus (crater)
Moretus is a lunar impact crater located in the heavily cratered highland region near the south pole of the Moon. South of it is the crater Short, while to the north is Cysatus. To the northwest lies Gruemberger, and Curtius is located to the northeast...
. To the northeast is Short
Short (crater)
Short is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern regions of the Moon, on the near side. It lies just to the south of the larger, prominent crater Moretus, and northeast of Newton....
, and in the northeast are Casatus
Casatus (crater)
Casatus is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southern limb of the Moon. The north-northeast rim of the crater overlies a portion of the slightly larger crater Klaproth. Along the western rim, Casatus A intrudes somewhat into the interior, producing an inward-bowing rim...
and Klaproth
Klaproth (crater)
Klaproth is an old lunar crater that lies in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon's near side. Due to its location, this crater appears significantly foreshortened when viewed from the Earth...
. Because of its location, the crater appears highly oblong due to foreshortening. It is considered the deepest crater on the near side of the Moon.
The interior of Newton is a picture in contrasts. The southern end has been covered, possibly by 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...
flows or ejecta, leaving a relatively flat surface that is marked only by tiny craters and a slight wrinkle ridge down the middle. The northern half is rugged and irregular, with the satellite crater Newton D overlying the north-northeastern rim and extending across nearly half the crater diameter.
The rim in the south is relatively low and narrow, with the smaller crater Newton G partly overlain and flooded by lava. This adjacent crater forms a step up from the interior of Newton, and there is a tiny 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...
in the south floor of Newton where it appears as if a channel flowed down the side from Newton G. The other parts of the outer crater wall are much wider than in the south end, particularly in the areas adjacent to Newton D.
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 Newton.| Newton | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 79.7° S | 19.7° W | 64 km |
| B | 81.1° S | 15.4° W | 44 km |
| C | 74.8° S | 14.4° W | 35 km |
| D | 75.9° S | 14.8° W | 37 km |
| E | 79.8° S | 36.9° W | 17 km |
| F | 72.2° S | 16.1° W | 7 km |
| G | 78.2° S | 18.3° W | 67 km |