Astronomy:Vasco da Gama (crater)

Short description: Lunar surface depression

Vasco da Gama

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image
Diameter	94 km
Depth	2.1 km
Colongitude	85° at sunrise

Lunar Orbiter 4 image
(splotches are blemishes on original)

Vasco da Gama is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon. It is named for the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. It lies to the south of the walled plain Einstein, due south of Dalton. Attached to the southwestern rim of Vasco da Gama is the somewhat smaller crater Bohr.

The northern and southern parts of the rim of Vasco da Gama have been heavily eroded by impacts, with the western and eastern rims being more intact. The smaller crater Vasco da Gama S intrudes into the southeastern rim, and just to its southwest is Vasco da Gama T. Near the northeastern rim is Vasco da Gama B. There is a low central massif near the midpoint of the interior.

The interior floor of satellite crater Vasco da Gama R contains a system of rilles designated the Rimae Vasco da Gama.

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 Vasco da Gama.

Vasco da Gama	Coordinates	Diameter, km
A	[ ⚑ ] 12.63°N 80.07°W / 12.63; -80.07 (Vasco da Gama A)	22
B	[ ⚑ ] 15.72°N 83.12°W / 15.72; -83.12 (Vasco da Gama B)	25
C	[ ⚑ ] 11.48°N 85.07°W / 11.48; -85.07 (Vasco da Gama C)	47
F	[ ⚑ ] 13.86°N 80.78°W / 13.86; -80.78 (Vasco da Gama F)	56
P	[ ⚑ ] 12.00°N 80.34°W / 12.00; -80.34 (Vasco da Gama P)	103
R	[ ⚑ ] 9.91°N 83.51°W / 9.91; -83.51 (Vasco da Gama R)	61
S	[ ⚑ ] 12.63°N 82.94°W / 12.63; -82.94 (Vasco da Gama S)	30
T	[ ⚑ ] 11.87°N 83.50°W / 11.87; -83.50 (Vasco da Gama T)	20

References

• Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097. 
• Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6327. 
• Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4. 
• Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780936389271. 
• McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. http://host.planet4589.org/astro/lunar/. 
• 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. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. Bibcode: 1971SSRv...12..136M. 
• Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co.. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6. https://archive.org/details/patrickmooreonmo00patr. 
• Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3. 
• Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4. 
• Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3. https://archive.org/details/celestialobjects00webb. 
• Whitaker, Ewen A. (2003). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-54414-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=aV1i27jDYL8C. 
• Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1. 

External links

• LAC 55, Lunar Chart