Nobile (crater) explained

Coordinates:	-85.28°N 53.27°W
Depth:	Unknown
Colong:	323
Eponym:	Umberto Nobile

Nobile is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southern pole of the Moon. It was named after the Italian aviator and explorer Umberto Nobile by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1994.^[1] It lies to the south of the crater Scott, along the western rim of Amundsen. Between Nobile and the southern pole lie the smaller craters Shoemaker and Faustini.

This is an eroded crater formation that is almost constantly cloaked in deep shadows. When sunlight does enter the interior of this crater, it does so at a very oblique angle. The crater rim is overlaid by several lesser craters, the most notable being a formation about half the diameter of Nobile along the western rim. There are also small craters along the southwest and northern parts of the rim. The outer rampart of Amundsen overlies the eastern rim and inner wall. The interior floor of this crater is somewhat irregular, and there are a few small craterlets across the surface.

Nobile was previously designated Scott A before being assigned a name by the IAU.

On 20 September 2021, NASA selected the western edge of Nobile, Mons Mouton, as the landing site for the VIPER mission,^[2] set to arrive in November 2024.^[3] This mission was later cancelled in 2024 due to cost overruns.^[4]

In November 2021, the IAU named the small crater Stose (16.7 km diameter), located to the southwest of Nobile.^[5] In August 2023, the IAU named two other small craters near Nobile. One is Burbridge (21 km diameter), located on the south rim of Nobile.^[6] The other crater is Floss (9 km diameter), located near the northwest rim of Nobile.^[7]

References

• Book: Andersson. L. E.. Whitaker. Ewen A.. 1982. NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature (RP-1097). NASA.
• Web site: Blue. Jennifer. July 25, 2007. Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. United States Geological Survey (USGS). 2007-08-05.
• 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 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Nobile . . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature . 6 September 2023.
2. Web site: NASA's Artemis Rover to Land Near Nobile Region of Moon's South Pole. 20 September 2021 . NASA. 20 September 2021.
3. Web site: NASA Replans CLPS Delivery of VIPER to 2024 to Reduce Risk . . 18 July 2022 . 18 July 2022.
4. Web site: NASA Ends VIPER Project, Continues Moon Exploration - NASA . 2024-07-17 . en-US.
5. Web site: Stose . . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature . 6 September 2023.
6. Web site: Burbridge . . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature . 22 August 2023.
7. Web site: Floss . . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature . 22 August 2023.