Maupertuis (crater) explained

Coordinates:	49.6°N -27.3°W
Diameter:	45.49 km
Depth:	1.5 km
Colong:	28
Eponym:	Pierre Louis Maupertuis

Maupertuis is the remnant of a lunar impact crater that is located in the northern part of the Moon's near side. It lies in the stretch of rugged terrain north of Sinus Iridum, a bay in the northwestern corner of Mare Imbrium. To the north lies the crater La Condamine, and Mare Frigoris.

This is a crater that has been nearly obliterated by a history of impacts, leaving only a disintegrated remnant of the original rim. The surviving outer rim is not especially circular, having been reshaped into a somewhat pentagonal outline. There are deep gouges from cratering along the northeastern rim. The interior floor is not in much better shape, being rough and irregular.

To the northeast of this crater is a system of rilles designated Rimae Maupertuis. These are considered to have formed through geological activity. Good eyesight and a large telescope are required to observe these rilles.

The crater was named for the French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Louis Maupertuis (1698–1759).^[1]

Maupertuis is a crater of Lower (Early) Imbrian age.^[2]

Satellite craters

Maupertuis	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter	Ref
A	50.6° N	24.7° W	13.91 km
B	51.3° N	26.7° W	6.07 km
C	50.2° N	24.0° W	10.47 km
K	49.3° N	25.0° W	5.28 km
L	51.3° N	29.2° W	6.21 km

See also

• Asteroid 3281 Maupertuis

References

Further reading

• 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: Maupertuis. Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. International Astronomical Union. 12 September 2017.

Notes and References

1. Book: Schmadel, Lutz D.. International Astronomical Union . Dictionary of minor planet names . 2003 . . Berlin; New York . 978-3-540-00238-3 . 273 . 9 September 2011.
2. https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1348 The geologic history of the Moon