Sklodowska (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Sklodowska is a large lunar
impact crater
that is located on the far side of the Moon
. It lies just past the southeastern limb, and can sometimes be viewed from Earth
under favorable conditions of libration
and illumination. The crater is located to the northeast of the older walled plain Curie
, and to the southwest of Pasteur
, another walled plain.
This is a prominent crater with a well-defined rim and little appearance of wear from impact erosion. The edge forms a rough circle, but it is irregular with a number of small outward bulges, particularly to the south and southwest. The small crater Sklodowska J intrudes slightly into the southeastern rim.
The inner walls have a system of multiple terraces, and there are some slumped shelves along the northeastern side. The inner wall is somewhat narrower along the north and wider to the south and northeast. Within the crater the interior floor is a nearly level plain that is marked by a number of small craterlets. There is a prominent central peak formation at the crater mid-point, which consists of two ridges separated by a narrow valley. The larger of the two peaks lies to the northeast of the center, while the smaller is to the southwest.
This crater gained its title from the birth name of Maria Skłodowska-Curie
, the Polish
-born French
scientist.
s of crater:
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 is located 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 just past the southeastern limb, and can sometimes be viewed from 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...
under favorable conditions of libration
Libration
In astronomy, libration is an oscillating motion of orbiting bodies relative to each other, notably including the motion of the Moon relative to Earth, or of Trojan asteroids relative to planets.-Lunar libration:...
and illumination. The crater is located to the northeast of the older walled plain Curie
Curie (lunar crater)
Curie is a large lunar crater, much of which lies on the far side of the Moon as seen from the Earth. The western rim projects into the near side of the Moon, as defined by the selenographic coordinate system...
, and to the southwest of Pasteur
Pasteur (lunar crater)
Pasteur is a large lunar crater belonging to the category termed a walled plain. It lies on the far side of the Moon as seen from the Earth, just beyond the eastern limb. The vicinity of this crater is occasionally brought into view from Earth due to librations, although not much detail can be...
, another walled plain.
This is a prominent crater with a well-defined rim and little appearance of wear from impact erosion. The edge forms a rough circle, but it is irregular with a number of small outward bulges, particularly to the south and southwest. The small crater Sklodowska J intrudes slightly into the southeastern rim.
The inner walls have a system of multiple terraces, and there are some slumped shelves along the northeastern side. The inner wall is somewhat narrower along the north and wider to the south and northeast. Within the crater the interior floor is a nearly level plain that is marked by a number of small craterlets. There is a prominent central peak formation at the crater mid-point, which consists of two ridges separated by a narrow valley. The larger of the two peaks lies to the northeast of the center, while the smaller is to the southwest.
This crater gained its title from the birth name of Maria Skłodowska-Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
, the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-born French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
scientist.
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 Sklodowska.| Sklodowska | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 14.7° S | 96.5° E | 44 km |
| D | 13.7° S | 99.0° E | 16 km |
| J | 19.3° S | 97.7° E | 16 km |
| R | 18.9° S | 92.2° E | 17 km |
| Y | 13.2° S | 95.4° E | 17 km |
External links
L&PI topographic mapTopographic map
A topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines in modern mapping, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features...
s of crater: