Sierpinski (crater)
Encyclopedia
Sierpinski is a lunar
impact crater
on the far side of the Moon
. It lies to the southeast of the huge walled plain Gagarin
, and to the northwest of the crater O'Day
and the Mare Ingenii
.
This crater has undergone some wear, particularly along the southwest where Sierpinski Q intrudes slightly into the inner wall. The rim is higher and the inner wall wider along the eastern side. There is a prominent ridge within the interior that extends from near the mid-point to the northern inner wall. There are several small craters along the inner wall in the north and northwest. Only a small portion of the interior floor along the western half is relatively level.
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 to the southeast of the huge walled plain Gagarin
Gagarin (crater)
Gagarin is a large lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. To the southwest is the crater Pavlov and to the northeast lies Keeler. Closer to the rim are the craters Levi-Civita to the southwest, and Beijerinck to the north-northeast. Isaev lies...
, and to the northwest of the crater O'Day
O'Day (crater)
O'Day is a prominent lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It intrudes into the northwestern edge of Mare Ingenii, and the rim is lower on that side. To the northwest is the crater pair of Holetschek and Sierpinski. Southwest of O'Day lies the crater Seidel...
and the Mare Ingenii
Mare Ingenii
Mare Ingenii is one of the few lunar mare features on the far side of the Moon. The mare sits in the Ingenii basin. This basin material is of the Pre-Nectarian epoch. The mare material located in Ingenii and the surrounding craters is of the Upper Imbrian epoch...
.
This crater has undergone some wear, particularly along the southwest where Sierpinski Q intrudes slightly into the inner wall. The rim is higher and the inner wall wider along the eastern side. There is a prominent ridge within the interior that extends from near the mid-point to the northern inner wall. There are several small craters along the inner wall in the north and northwest. Only a small portion of the interior floor along the western half is relatively level.
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 Sierpinski.| Sierpinski | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q | 28.3° S | 153.6° E | 15 km |