Wexler (crater)
Encyclopedia
Wexler is a lunar
impact crater
that lies across the south-southeast limb of the Moon
. In this location not much detail about the formation can be discerned from the Earth
, and it must be viewed from orbit
to see most of the structure. It lies about a hundred kilometers northwards of the larger crater Hale
, and south-southeast of Petrov
.
The rim of this crater retains much of its original structure, although the features have become softened and worn in comparison to the younger Hale. The rim has a polygon
al appearance along most of the perimeter, and traces of terraces can still be seen along sections of the inner wall. There is a small crater across the northwest rim, but otherwise the formation is not significantly marked by impacts. The interior floor is relatively flat and level, with a central peak near the mid-point. There is the ghostly remnant
of a crater to the northeast of the middle peak.
Within a half crater diameter to the north and east is a wide, valley-like rift in the surface. The narrow end of this cut is located to the east of Wexler, and from there it follows a nearly straight, widening course to the northeast, before opening wide towards the northwest to the north of Wexler.
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 across the south-southeast 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...
. In this location not much detail about the formation can be discerned 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...
, and it must be viewed from orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
to see most of the structure. It lies about a hundred kilometers northwards of the larger crater Hale
Hale (lunar crater)
Hale is a relatively young lunar impact crater that is located on the southern limb of the Moon. Over half the crater lies on the far side of the Moon, and from the Earth this formation is viewed from the side. Thus the crater must be viewed from orbit in order to discern much detail. The nearest...
, and south-southeast of Petrov
Petrov (crater)
Petrov is an impact crater along the southeastern limb of the Moon. The crater is difficult to observe in this location, and visibility of this feature is affected by libration. The nearest crater of note is Chamberlin, just on the far side to the northeast...
.
The rim of this crater retains much of its original structure, although the features have become softened and worn in comparison to the younger Hale. The rim has a 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 appearance along most of the perimeter, and traces of terraces can still be seen along sections of the inner wall. There is a small crater across the northwest rim, but otherwise the formation is not significantly marked by impacts. The interior floor is relatively flat and level, with a central peak near the mid-point. There is the ghostly remnant
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
of a crater to the northeast of the middle peak.
Within a half crater diameter to the north and east is a wide, valley-like rift in the surface. The narrow end of this cut is located to the east of Wexler, and from there it follows a nearly straight, widening course to the northeast, before opening wide towards the northwest to the north of Wexler.
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 Wexler.| Wexler | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 68.8° S | 95.5° E | 23 km |
| H | 70.5° S | 96.7° E | 14 km |
| U | 68.2° S | 82.0° E | 51 km |
| V | 68.0° S | 83.9° E | 21 km |