Virchow (crater)
Encyclopedia
Virchow is a small lunar
impact crater
that is located on the northwestern interior floor of the prominent crater Neper
. The latter formation lies near the eastern limb of the Moon
, along the southern edge of the Mare Marginis
. Observation of this area is hindered due to foreshortening, as well as libration effects
. Before being given a name by the IAU
, this crater had the designation Neper G.
Virchow has a distorted shape, with a somewhat polygon
al rim, particularly in the northern half. The northwestern rim protrudes outwards, giving the crater an asymmetrical appearance. This section of the rim just makes contact with the inner wall of Neper crater. The inner walls of Virchow are relatively narrow, and the interior floor is nearly level and almost featureless.
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 northwestern interior floor of the prominent crater Neper
Neper (crater)
Neper is an old lunar impact crater located near the eastern limb of the Moon. Due to its location the crater must be viewed during a suitable libration, and is very foreshortened. The crater lies on the south edge of Mare Marginis, to the east of the crater Jansky...
. The latter formation lies near the eastern 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...
, along the southern edge of the Mare Marginis
Mare Marginis
Mare Marginis is a lunar mare that lies on the very edge of the lunar nearside. The selenographic coordinates of this feature are 13.3° N, 86.1° E, and the diameter is 420 km. The name is Latin for "Sea of the Edge"....
. Observation of this area is hindered due to foreshortening, as well as libration effects
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:...
. Before being given a name 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...
, this crater had the designation Neper G.
Virchow has a distorted shape, with a somewhat polygon
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
al rim, particularly in the northern half. The northwestern rim protrudes outwards, giving the crater an asymmetrical appearance. This section of the rim just makes contact with the inner wall of Neper crater. The inner walls of Virchow are relatively narrow, and the interior floor is nearly level and almost featureless.
External links
- LTO-63B4 Virchow — L&PI topographic mapTopographic mapA 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...