Von Kármán (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Von Kármán is a lunar
crater
that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side
of the Moon
. The northern third of this formation is overlain by the rim and outer rampart of the walled plain Leibnitz
, forming a deep indentation in the formation. The remainder of the outer wall is roughly circular in shape, although it is irregular and heavily worn by subsequent impacts.
The interior of Von Kármán has been subjected to flooding by lava
flows after the original crater formed, leaving the southern portion of the floor nearly flat. This surface has a lower albedo
than the surrounding terrain, and is nearly as dark as the interior of Leibnitz. There is a central peak at the location where the midpoint of the original Von Kármán was formed, which joins with the rougher surface in the northern part of the crater.
In addition to Leibnitz to the north, the crater Oresme
is located to the west-northwest, and Finsen
lies to the northeast on the edge of Leibnitz's rim. Nearly attached to the southeast rim is the unusual figure-eight-shaped Von Kármán L formation. Directly to the east of this is the crater Alder
.
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...
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 in the southern hemisphere on the far side
Far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned away, and is not visible from the surface of the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon...
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...
. The northern third of this formation is overlain by the rim and outer rampart of the walled plain Leibnitz
Leibnitz (crater)
Leibnitz is a huge lunar crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. This formation is the same size as Clavius on the near side. It is located to the east-southeast of Mare Ingenii, and is joined to the northeast rim of Von Kármán. Attached to the eastern rim of...
, forming a deep indentation in the formation. The remainder of the outer wall is roughly circular in shape, although it is irregular and heavily worn by subsequent impacts.
The interior of Von Kármán has been subjected to flooding by lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flows after the original crater formed, leaving the southern portion of the floor nearly flat. This surface has a lower albedo
Albedo
Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
than the surrounding terrain, and is nearly as dark as the interior of Leibnitz. There is a central peak at the location where the midpoint of the original Von Kármán was formed, which joins with the rougher surface in the northern part of the crater.
In addition to Leibnitz to the north, the crater Oresme
Oresme (crater)
Oresme is a crater on the Moon's far side. It lies just to the west-northwest of the larger Von Kármán. To the southwest of Oresme is Chrétien, and to the northwest is the Mare Ingenii...
is located to the west-northwest, and Finsen
Finsen (crater)
Finsen is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere, on the Moon's far side. It is attached to the southeastern exterior of the walled plain Leibnitz, and the ejecta from Finsen covers the southeastern part of Leibnitz's interior floor...
lies to the northeast on the edge of Leibnitz's rim. Nearly attached to the southeast rim is the unusual figure-eight-shaped Von Kármán L formation. Directly to the east of this is the crater Alder
Alder (crater)
Alder is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It is located in the South Pole-Aitken basin, and lies to the southeast of the crater Von Kármán...
.
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 Von Kármán.| Von Kármán | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | 47.7° S | 177.9° E | 29 km |
| M | 47.2° S | 176.2° E | 225 km |
| R | 45.8° S | 170.8° E | 28 km |