Picard (crater)
Encyclopedia
Picard is a lunar
impact crater
that lies in Mare Crisium
. To the west is the almost completely flooded crater Yerkes
. Due east of Picard is the tiny Curtis
. being slightly larger than Peirce
to the north-northwest. The crater is named for 17th century French astronomer and geodesist Jean Picard
.
Picard is a crater from the Eratosthenian
period, which lasted from 3.2 to 1.1 billion years ago. Inside Picard is a series of terraces that seismologists have attributed to a collapse of the crater floor. The lowest point on the crater floor is approximately 2000 meters below its rim. T It has a small hill at the center.
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU
.
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...
that lies in Mare Crisium
Mare Crisium
Mare Crisium is a lunar mare located in the Moon's Crisium basin, just northeast of Mare Tranquillitatis. This basin is of the Pre-Imbrian period, 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago. This mare is in diameter, and 176,000 km2 in area. It has a very flat floor, with a ring of wrinkled ridges...
. To the west is the almost completely flooded crater Yerkes
Yerkes (crater)
Yerkes is a lunar crater near the western edge of Mare Crisium. In the past the interior of this crater has been almost completely inundated by lava, leaving only a shallow remnant of a rim above the mare. The rim is widest on the western and southern portions, and barely existent to the east,...
. Due east of Picard is the tiny Curtis
Curtis (crater)
Curtis is a tiny lunar crater that lies in the western Mare Crisium, to the east of the crater Picard. It is a circular, cup-shaped formation that is otherwise undistinguished....
. being slightly larger than Peirce
Peirce (crater)
Peirce is a small lunar crater, named in honor of the mathematician Benjamin Peirce, which lies in the western part of Mare Crisium. That dark, circular lunar mare is located in the east-northeasterly part of the Moon's near side. Peirce lies to the north of the craters Yerkes and Picard, and...
to the north-northwest. The crater is named for 17th century French astronomer and geodesist Jean Picard
Jean Picard
Jean-Felix Picard was a French astronomer and priest born in La Flèche, where he studied at the Jesuit Collège Royal Henry-Le-Grand. He was the first person to measure the size of the Earth to a reasonable degree of accuracy in a survey conducted in 1669–70, for which he is honored with a...
.
Picard is a crater from the Eratosthenian
Eratosthenian
The Eratosthenian period in the lunar geologic timescale runs from 3,200 million years ago to 1,100 million years ago. It is named after the crater Eratosthenes, whose formation marks the beginning of this period. The formation of the crater Copernicus marks its end, and the beginning of the...
period, which lasted from 3.2 to 1.1 billion years ago. Inside Picard is a series of terraces that seismologists have attributed to a collapse of the crater floor. The lowest point on the crater floor is approximately 2000 meters below its rim. T It has a small hill at the center.
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 Picard.| Picard | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | 9.7° N | 54.5° E | 8 km |
| L | 10.3° N | 54.3° E | 8 km |
| M | 10.3° N | 54.0° E | 9 km |
| N | 10.5° N | 53.6° E | 20 km |
| P | 8.9° N | 53.7° E | 7 km |
| Y | 13.2° N | 60.1° E | 6 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
.
- Picard G — See TebbuttTebbutt (crater)Tebbutt is a lunar crater that is located near the southwestern edge of Mare Crisium. It was formerly designated Picard G before being named by the IAU, and lies south of the crater Picard...
. - Picard H — See ShapleyShapley (crater)Shapley is a lunar crater that lies along the southern edge of Mare Crisium. It was previously designated Picard H before being given a name by the IAU. However the crater Picard lies about 150 kilometers to the north-northwest across the Mare Crisium...
. - Picard X — See FahrenheitFahrenheit (crater)Fahrenheit is a tiny lunar crater located in the southeast part of the Mare Crisium. This area of the surface is nearly devoid of impact features of interest. To the east are the Dorsa Harker wrinkle ridges, and beyond them is Promontorium Agarum at the edge of the mare...
. - Picard Z — See CurtisCurtis (crater)Curtis is a tiny lunar crater that lies in the western Mare Crisium, to the east of the crater Picard. It is a circular, cup-shaped formation that is otherwise undistinguished....
.