 LRO image | |
| Coordinates | 47°01′N 92°50′W / 47.01°N 92.83°W / 47.01; -92.83 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 75.29 km (46.78 mi) |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Colongitude | 94° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Dean B. McLaughlin |
McLaughlin is a lunar impact crater that is located just behind the northwestern rim on the far side of the Moon. This portion of the surface is sometimes brought into view of the Earth due to libration, and the area can then be viewed from a low angle under favorable lighting conditions. McLaughlin lies to the west-southwest of the crater Galvani. About two crater diameters due west lies Rynin.
This is a heavily eroded crater with an irregular rim that is mark by a number of smaller impacts. The interior floor is generally level, except for a low right offset to the southeast of the midpoint, and some irregularities near the southwest and northern inner walls. The interior is marked by several tiny craterlets.
Prior to formal naming by the IAU in 1970, McLaughlin was called Crater 108.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to McLaughlin.
| McLaughlin | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 51.6° N | 92.4° W | 35 km |
| B | 50.2° N | 91.2° W | 43 km |
| C | 48.5° N | 91.9° W | 60 km |
| P | 45.0° N | 94.6° W | 34 km |
| U | 47.2° N | 97.0° W | 30 km |
| Z | 52.6° N | 92.8° W | 21 km |
See also
- 2024 McLaughlin, minor planet
- McLaughlin (Martian crater)
References
- McLaughlin, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
- Lunar Farside Chart (LFC-1A), 2nd Edition October 1967
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.