Racah (crater)
Encyclopedia
Racah is a lunar
impact crater
on the far side of the Moon
. It lies almost due south of the larger crater Daedalus
, and lies across lunar longitude 180°W, i.e. the longitude that is diametrically opposite to the Earth. To the west-southwest of Racah is the crater Aitken
, and to the southeast lies De Vries
.
The rim of this crater is eroded and is not quite circular, having a prominent outward bulge along the west-northwest side. The edge is somewhat damaged along the southern rim, but no significant craters lie along the side. The interior floor is uneven in places with some small impacts.
This feature is named after the Israeli physicist Giulio Racah.
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 far side 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 lies almost due south of the larger crater Daedalus
Daedalus (crater)
Daedalus is a prominent crater located near the center of the far side of the Moon. The inner wall is terraced, and there is a cluster of central peaks on the relatively flat floor...
, and lies across lunar longitude 180°W, i.e. the longitude that is diametrically opposite to the Earth. To the west-southwest of Racah is the crater Aitken
Aitken (crater)
Aitken is a large lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, named for Robert Grant Aitken, an American astronomer specializing in binary stellar systems. It is located to the southeast of the crater Heaviside, and north of the unusual formation Van de Graaff. Attached to the...
, and to the southeast lies De Vries
De Vries (crater)
De Vries is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon relative to the Earth. It lies about mid-way between the craters Racah to the north-northwest and Orlov to the south-southeast...
.
The rim of this crater is eroded and is not quite circular, having a prominent outward bulge along the west-northwest side. The edge is somewhat damaged along the southern rim, but no significant craters lie along the side. The interior floor is uneven in places with some small impacts.
This feature is named after the Israeli physicist Giulio Racah.
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 Racah.| Racah | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 10.5° S | 178.4° W | 27 km |
| J | 16.5° S | 177.4° W | 37 km |
| K | 16.8° S | 178.6° W | 52 km |
| N | 17.0° S | 179.0° E | 35 km |
| T | 13.8° S | 177.5° E | 21 km |
| U | 13.2° S | 177.2° E | 25 km |
| W | 12.5° S | 178.9° E | 39 km |
| X | 10.2° S | 179.0° E | 14 km |