[meteorite-list] SMART-1 Image: Lomonosov - A Large Crater Filled By Lava

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Jul 25 12:00:07 2006
Message-ID: <200607251555.IAA16353_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM1R6BUQPE_index_0.html

Lomonosov - a large crater filled by lava
SMART-1
European Space Agency
25 July 2006

This image, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on
board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows crater Lomonosov on the Moon's far
side.
 
AMIE obtained the image on 30 January 2006 from a distance of about 2100
kilometres from the surface, with a ground resolution of 190 metres per
pixel. The imaged area is centred at a latitude of 27.8?? North and a
longitude of 98.6?? East.

Crater Lomonosov is a nice example for a large crater (92 kilometres in
diameter) which was filled by lava after the impact, thus exhibiting a
flat floor. The terraced walls indicate 'slumping', that is sliding of
the rocks downwards due to gravity after the end of the impact. The
small craters inside Lomonosov are the result of impacts into this lava
floor which happened after the formation of Lomonosov.

Looking closely to the left half of the crater, one can see changes in
the brightness of the crater floor, resembling horizontal paint strokes.
These can be seen frequently in this area of the Moon and are ejecta
deposits of the young crater Giordano Bruno which is at about 300
kilometres distance.

The crater is named in honor of Mikhail Vassilievitch Lomonossov, a
Russian physicist (1711 - 1765). He was professor of physics at Saint
Petersburg university and devoted his live to the study of the
properties of matter and electricity.

 
For more information
 
Jean-Luc Josset, SPACE-X Space Exploration Institute
Email: jean-luc.josset _at_ space-x.ch

Bernard H. Foing, ESA SMART-1 Project Scientist
Email: bernard.foing _at_ esa.int
Received on Tue 25 Jul 2006 11:55:53 AM PDT