Davy (crater)
 Lunar Orbiter 4image | |
| Coordinates | 11°48′S8°06′W/ 11.8°S 8.1°W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 34 km |
| Depth | 1.4 km |
| Colongitude | 8° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Humphry Davy |
Davyis a smalllunarimpact craterthat is located on the eastern edge of theMare Nubium.It was named after British physicistHumphry Davy.[1]It overlies thelava-flooded remains of the satellite crater Davy Y to the east, a formation which contains acrater chaindesignated Catena Davy. To the southeast of Davy is the prominent craterAlphonsus.
The outer rim of Davy is low, and the interior has been partly resurfaced. The perimeter is somewhatpolygonalin shape, especially in the western half, and the southeast rim has been overlain by Davy A. The latter is bowl-shaped with a notch in the northern rim. The interior of Davy lacks a central peak, although there are some low central mounds and the rim of Davy Y forms a low ridge leading from the northern outer rim.
Catena Davy
[edit]
This linear string of 23 tiny craters runs from the midpoint of Davy Y towards the walled basinPtolemaeus,following a slightly curving course to the east-northeast. It is located at selenographiccoordinates11.0° S, 7.0° W, and has a length of 50 km.
This formation is not believed to be due to secondary cratering because it is not radial to a suitable source crater. The most likely cause is believed to be a single body that broke apart prior to impact due to tidal effects. High resolution images have demonstrated that the craters formed at about the same time since theejectafrom each crater does not overlay neighboring craters. However, there are still some scientists who believe that this chain of craters may bevolcanicin origin.
In 1974, six of the craters in the chain were given "unofficial" names for use in connection with NASA's Topophotomap 77D1S1(10). These names, listed below, were later adopted by theIAU.Their positions in the chain are not readily distinguished based on their officialcoordinates,but they are well identified on the topophotomap.
Catena Davy was considered as a possible earlyApollolanding site.[2]
| Crater | Coordinates | Diameter | Name source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alan | 10°54′S6°06′W/ 10.9°S 6.1°W | 2.0 km | Irishmasculine name |
| Delia | 10°54′S6°06′W/ 10.9°S 6.1°W | 2.0 km | Greekfeminine name |
| Harold | 10°54′S6°00′W/ 10.9°S 6.0°W | 2.0 km | Scandinavianmasculine name |
| Osman | 11°00′S6°12′W/ 11.0°S 6.2°W | 2.0 km | Turkishmasculine name |
| Priscilla | 10°54′S6°12′W/ 10.9°S 6.2°W | 1.8 km | Latinfeminine name |
| Susan | 11°00′S6°18′W/ 11.0°S 6.3°W | 1.0 km | Englishfeminine name |
Satellite craters
[edit]
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Davy.
| Davy | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 12.2° S | 7.7° W | 15 km |
| B | 10.8° S | 8.9° W | 7 km |
| C | 11.2° S | 7.0° W | 3 km |
| G | 10.4° S | 5.1° W | 16 km |
| K | 10.2° S | 9.5° W | 3 km |
| U | 12.9° S | 7.1° W | 3 km |
| Y | 11.0° S | 7.1° W | 70 km |
References
[edit]- ^"Davy (crater)".Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ^To A Rocky Moon,1993, byDon Wilhelms.PDF version available from L&PI. Chapter 13, p. 245.
- Andersson, L. E.;Whitaker, E. A.(1982).NASACatalogue of Lunar Nomenclature.NASA RP-1097.
- Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007)."Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature".USGS.Retrieved2014-10-16.
- Bussey, B.;Spudis, P.(2004).The Clementine Atlas of the Moon.New York:Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-81528-4.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995).Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature.Tudor Publishers.ISBN978-0-936389-27-1.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007)."Lunar Nomenclature".Jonathan's Space Report.Retrieved2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU".Space Science Reviews.12(2): 136–186.Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M.doi:10.1007/BF00171763.S2CID122125855.
- Moore, Patrick(2001).On the Moon.Sterling Publishing Co.ISBN978-0-304-35469-6.
- Price, Fred W. (1988).The Moon Observer's Handbook.Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-33500-3.
- Rükl, Antonín(1990).Atlas of the Moon.Kalmbach Books.ISBN978-0-913135-17-4.
- Webb, Rev. T. W.(1962).Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes(6th revised ed.). Dover.ISBN978-0-486-20917-3.
- Whitaker, Ewen A.(1999).Mapping and Naming the Moon.Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-62248-6.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000).Observing the Moon.Springer.ISBN978-1-85233-193-1.
External links
[edit]
- Topophotomap 77D1S1(10)showing location of minor named features.
- Lunar Orbiter map and photo of Alphonsus,shows relationship of Davy to Alphonsus and Ptolemeus.
- Wood, Chuck (January 27, 2004)."Davy's Chain".Lunar Photo of the Day.
- Wood, Chuck (July 14, 2004)."Jim and Davy".Lunar Photo of the Day.
- Wood, Chuck (April 25, 2005)."A Chain of Mystery".Lunar Photo of the Day.
- Wood, Chuck (July 15, 2006)."Mistaken Identity".Lunar Photo of the Day.
- Wood, Chuck (November 27, 2006)."A Long Line in a Clutter of Magnificence".Lunar Photo of the Day.
- Wood, Chuck (January 31, 2010)."Spotted Moon".Lunar Photo of the Day.
