Lunar Coordinates

Forums General Discussion Lunar Coordinates

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  • #615560
    Tor Schofield
    Participant

    Can anyone explain the lunar coordinate system that places a feature at 41.79 North 311.61 East?

    #615584
    Dr Paul Leyland
    Participant

    What is that feature and what do you expect to be its coordinates?

    Note that 311.61 East is equivalent, in most spherical coordinate systems, to 360-111.61 = 48.39 West.

    #615585
    Tor Schofield
    Participant

    Paul, The feature is the silicic volcano Mairan T (41.79°N, 311.61°E). I was trying to understand those coordinates and locate it on a lunar map and in a lunar atlas. I will now take your suggested West coordinate and try and locate it.

    #615620
    Bill Barton
    Participant

    Mairan (co-longitude 44 degrees (sunrise)) is located in the Jura Mountains between Oceanus Procellarum to the west and Mare Imbrium to the east. Page 36 of our Handbook will tell you when it becomes visible (at sunrise) and invisible (at sunset). Mairan has a similar latitude to the prominent crater Plato, but is 34 degrees east of it. Mairan has a similar longitude to Aristarchus but is 18 degrees north of it.

    #615624
    Dr Paul Leyland
    Participant

    Wikipedia to the rescue:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mairan_(crater)

    has its location as 41.7° N 48.3° W.

    Always worth checking with Wikipedia and DuckDuckGo for these sorts of questions.

    Apologies for the typo 111.61 when I meant 311.61.

    #615625
    Tor Schofield
    Participant

    Paul, Thank you and I had seen that Wiki reference, but I was after Mairan T, not the lunar impact crater, Mairan, it’s a bit confusing. I’m interested in the lunar volcano, designated as ‘the silicic volcano Mairan’. Interestingly some descriptions give this as an impact crater or crater, but it’s not, more a collapsed volcano caldera.

    #615626
    Tor Schofield
    Participant

    I have just noticed that cover photo to ‘Atlas if the Moon’ Wood and Collins, shows both the impact crater and the volcano, designated Mairan T, both are shown together with their correct designation. I’m not sure who names features on the Moon, but giving the crater and the volcano much the same name is confusing. I also note the description inside the atlas that refers to the volcano with a crater on top, this could easily lead one to conclude the feature top most on the volcano is an impact crater, but that is not the case.

    #615633
    Tor Schofield
    Participant

    Bill, Thank you for your reply. I have both the impact crater and the adjacent volcano, located now, with practically the same name, it can be somewhat confusing.

    #615641
    Dr Paul Leyland
    Participant

    Paul, Thank you and I had seen that Wiki reference, but I was after Mairan T, not the lunar impact crater, Mairan, it’s a bit confusing. I’m interested in the lunar volcano, designated as ‘the silicic volcano Mairan’. Interestingly some descriptions give this as an impact crater or crater, but it’s not, more a collapsed volcano caldera.

    I quoted the location of Mairan T as given in that article!

    The location of Mairan itself is given as 41.6°N 43.4°W in Wikipedia.

    #615642
    Dr Paul Leyland
    Participant

    I have just noticed that cover photo to ‘Atlas if the Moon’ Wood and Collins, shows both the impact crater and the volcano, designated Mairan T, both are shown together with their correct designation. I’m not sure who names features on the Moon, but giving the crater and the volcano much the same name is confusing. I also note the description inside the atlas that refers to the volcano with a crater on top, this could easily lead one to conclude the feature top most on the volcano is an impact crater, but that is not the case.

    The Wikipedia article explains that nomenclature is set by the IAU and the convention for naming smaller scale features located close to the principle crater.

    Perhaps it might be useful for you to review the article.

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