Widmannstätten (crater)
Encyclopedia
Widmannstätten is a lunar
crater
in the southern part of the Mare Smythii
, near the eastern limb of the Moon
. The rim of this crater has a wide gap along the western side, where it is joined to the larger Kiess
. There is also a gap in the northern rim where the crater floor is joined to the adjacent lunar mare
. The dark interior floor of this formation has been flooded by lava
, leaving a level interior surface and a shallow surviving rim.
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...
in the southern part of the Mare Smythii
Mare Smythii
Mare Smythii is a lunar mare located along the equator on the easternmost edge of the lunar near side. The Smythii basin where the mare is located is of the Pre-Nectarian epoch, while the surrounding features are of the Nectarian system...
, 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...
. The rim of this crater has a wide gap along the western side, where it is joined to the larger Kiess
Kiess (crater)
Kiess is a lunar crater next to the southern border of the Mare Smythii, near the eastern limb of the Moon. It is located to the east of the crater Kästner, and to the north of Dale and Kreiken....
. There is also a gap in the northern rim where the crater floor is joined to the adjacent lunar mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
. The dark interior floor of this formation has been flooded 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...
, leaving a level interior surface and a shallow surviving rim.