Shaler (crater)
Encyclopedia
Shaler is a lunar
impact crater
that lies on the southeast interior edge of the Montes Cordillera
mountain ring that surrounds the immense Mare Orientale
formation. It is located near the southwest limb of the Moon
on the near side, and so is viewed nearly from on edge from the Earth
. Just to the northwest of the crater is the slightly smaller crater Wright
.
The long, irregular Vallis Bouvard
valley begins at the southern rim of Shaler, and winds its way to the south-southeast towards the crater Baade
. This is one of several such valleys that radiate away from the southeast edge of the Mare Orientale impact basin, the other two being Vallis Inghirami and Vallis Baade
.
Shaler has been affected by its location on the southern edge of the Montes Cordillera, as the floor is rough and irregular, particularly toward the southwest where several small, parallel clefts appear in the surface. The rim is nearly circular, although slightly flattened along the south edge, and the edge remains sharply defined with little appearance of erosion.
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 on the southeast interior edge of the Montes Cordillera
Montes Cordillera
Montes Cordillera is a mountain range on the Moon. This feature forms the outer wall of peaks that surround the Mare Orientale impact basin, the inner ring being formed by the Montes Rook...
mountain ring that surrounds the immense Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale is one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bull's-eye. Located on the extreme western edge of the lunar nearside, this impact basin is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective.Material from this basin was not sampled by the Apollo program...
formation. It is located near the southwest 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...
on the near side, and so is viewed nearly from on edge from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Just to the northwest of the crater is the slightly smaller crater Wright
Wright (lunar crater)
Wright is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon. It lies on the irregular plain between the Montes Cordillera and Montes Rook, two ring-shaped mountain ranges that surround the Mare Orientale. To the north of Wright is the crater Pettit.The outer rim of Wright is...
.
The long, irregular Vallis Bouvard
Vallis Bouvard
Vallis Bouvard is a 284-km-long valley on the Moon, centered at . It begins at the southern rim of the crater Shaler, and winds its way to the south-southeast towards Baade. This is one of several such valleys that radiate away from the southeast edge of the Mare Orientale circular impact basin,...
valley begins at the southern rim of Shaler, and winds its way to the south-southeast towards the crater Baade
Baade (crater)
Baade is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southwest limb of the Moon on the near side, to the southwest of the enormous Mare Orientale impact basin. The area to the east of this crater forms the junction between the 280-km-long Vallis Bouvard to the north and the narrower,...
. This is one of several such valleys that radiate away from the southeast edge of the Mare Orientale impact basin, the other two being Vallis Inghirami and Vallis Baade
Vallis Baade
Vallis Baade is a 203 km long sinuous valley on the Moon running south-southeast from the crater Baade and centered at...
.
Shaler has been affected by its location on the southern edge of the Montes Cordillera, as the floor is rough and irregular, particularly toward the southwest where several small, parallel clefts appear in the surface. The rim is nearly circular, although slightly flattened along the south edge, and the edge remains sharply defined with little appearance of erosion.