Mandelʹshtam (crater) explained

Coordinates:5.4°N 162.4°W
Diameter:197 km
Depth:Unknown
Colong:200
Eponym:Leonid I. Mandelshtam

Mandelshtam is the remains of a large crater on the Moon's far side named after Leonid Mandelstam. Nearly attached to the northeast outer rim is the crater Papaleksi. To the south lies the crater Vening Meinesz.

The outer rim of this crater has been battered into near ruin, with sections forming only an irregular circular rise in the surface. Much of the rim consists of clefts, small craters, and ridges. The satellite crater Mandelshtam R breaks across the rim to the west-southwest, and Mandelshtam Y is attached to the northern edge.

The interior floor of the crater has not escaped bombardment, and the central portion is overlain by Mandelshtam A, a respectable crater in its own right. Mandelshtam N lies on the interior along the south-southwestern inner edge. The northwestern floor and to a lesser degree the southeast floor are relatively level, and have suffered less impact damage than elsewhere.

The crater was named after Dutch geophysicist and geodesist Leonid I. Mandelshtam by the IAU in 1970.[1] Mandelʹshtam was known as Crater 220 prior to naming.[2]

The small crater Mandelshtam F to the east has a small ray system with several faint, streaky rays overlaying the floor of Mandelshtam.

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 Mandelshtam.

Mandelshtam LatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A5.7° N162.4° E64 km
F5.2° N166.2° E17 km
G4.5° N166.4° E29 km
N3.3° N161.6° E25 km
Q2.4° N158.8° E20 km
R4.5° N159.8° E57 km
T5.7° N160.4° E37 km
Y9.1° N161.8° E32 km

References

Notes and References

  1. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6625 Mandelʹshtam
  2. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/LunarFarsideCharts/LFC-1%201stEd/LFC-1%202ndEd/LFC-1A/ Lunar Farside Chart (LFC-1A)