Helicon (crater) explained
| Coordinates: | 40.4°N -23.1°W |
| Diameter: | 25 km |
| Depth: | 0.5 km |
| Colong: | 23 |
| Eponym: | Helicon of Cyzicus |
Helicon is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the north part of the Mare Imbrium. The crater was named after 4th century BC Greek astronomer Helicon of Cyzicus, a friend and disciple of Plato. To the northwest is the prominent Sinus Iridum, a mountain-ringed bay on the mare. Just to the east is the slightly smaller crater Le Verrier.
Helicon is a nearly circular formation with inner walls that curve down to a relatively flat floor. There is a tiny craterlet located at the midpoint of the interior, and a small craterlet along the southwestern rim.
Satellite craters
According to convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Helicon.
| Helicon | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|
| B | 38.0° N | 21.3° W | 6 km |
| C | 40.1° N | 26.2° W | 1 km |
| E | 40.5° N | 24.1° W | 3 km |
| G | 41.7° N | 24.9° W | 2 km | |
References
- Book: Andersson . L. E. . Whitaker . E. A. . Ewen Whitaker . 1982 . NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature . NASA RP-1097 .
- Book: Bussey . B. . Ben Bussey . Spudis . P. . Paul Spudis . 2004 . The Clementine Atlas of the Moon . . New York . 978-0-521-81528-4 .
- Book: Cocks . Elijah E. . Cocks . Josiah C. . 1995 . Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature . Tudor Publishers . 978-0-936389-27-1 .
- Web site: McDowell . Jonathan . July 15, 2007 . Lunar Nomenclature . . 2007-10-24 .
- Menzel. D. H.. Minnaert. M.. Levin. B.. Dollfus. A.. Bell. B.. Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU. 10.1007/BF00171763. Space Science Reviews. 12. 2. 136–186. 1971. 1971SSRv...12..136M. 122125855.
- Book: Moore
, Patrick
. Patrick Moore
. Patrick Moore . 2001 . On the Moon . . 978-0-304-35469-6 .
- Book: Price
, Fred W.
. 1988 . The Moon Observer's Handbook . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-33500-3 .
- Book: Rükl
, Antonín
. Antonín Rükl
. Antonín Rükl . 1990 . Atlas of the Moon . . 978-0-913135-17-4 .
- Book: Webb
, Rev. T. W.
. Thomas William Webb
. Thomas William Webb . 1962 . Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes . 6th revised . Dover . 978-0-486-20917-3 .
- Book: Whitaker
, Ewen A.
. Ewen Whitaker
. Ewen Whitaker . 1999 . Mapping and Naming the Moon . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-62248-6 .
- Book: Wlasuk
, Peter T.
. 2000 . Observing the Moon . Springer . 978-1-85233-193-1 .
External links
- Web site: Wood . Chuck . 2006-08-20 . Out the Porthole . Lunar Photo of the Day . 2016-09-18 ., excellent earth-based image of Sinus Iridum and vicinity, including Helicon and Le Verrier
