Near Side Lunar Crater Swift Honors American Astronomer Lewis Swift

Summary: Near side lunar Crater Swift honors American astronomer Lewis Swift, whose nebula discoveries were exceeded only by Sir William and Sir John Herschel.

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography shows Swift Crater (center left) in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises) in lunar near side’s northeastern quadrant; the primary crater was formerly designated, under the name of Peirce B, as a satellite of Peirce Crater (center left): U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Near side lunar Crater Swift honors American astronomer Lewis Swift, who ranks as the third most prolific nebulae discoverer, after first-place holder German-British astronomer Sir William Herschel (Nov. 15, 1738-Aug. 25, 1822) and his son, Sir John Herschel (March 7, 1792-May 11, 1871).

Swift Crater presents a bowl-shaped formation. Sloping interior walls emphasize a small floor at the crater’s midpoint.

Swift Crater is centered at 19.35 degrees north latitude, 53.44 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northern hemisphere crater records northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 19.51 degrees north and 19.18 degrees north, respectively. The eastern hemisphere crater registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 53.62 degrees east and 53.27 degrees east, respectively. Near side circular lunar crater Swift’s diameter measures 10.06 kilometers.

The small lunar impact crater lies in northwestern Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises) in the lunar near side’s northeastern quadrant. Mare Crisium is centered at 16.18 degrees north latitude, 59.1 degrees east longitude. The dark, basaltic plain’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to 24.53 degrees north and 9.69 degrees north, respectively. The lunar mare’s easternmost and westernmost longitudes reach 68.53 degrees east and 49.51 degrees east, respectively. Mare Crisium’s diameter spans 555.92 kilometers.

Swift Crater lies to the north of Peirce Crater. Peirce’s distinctive features include a roughly bowl-shaped rim with an outwardly bulging northwestern rim, a central peak near the crater’s interior midpoint and a craterlet along Peirce’s inner southeastern wall.

Peirce Crater is centered at 18.26 degrees north latitude, 53.35 degrees east longitude. Peirce’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at 18.58 degrees north and 17.95 degrees north, respectively. The small lunar crater obtains easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 53.68 degrees east and 53.03 degrees east, respectively. Peirce has a diameter of 18.86 kilometers.

The International Astronomical Union officially approved Swift Crater’s name in 1976, during the organization’s XVIth (16th) General Assembly, held Tuesday, Aug. 24, to Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Grenoble, France. Lunar Crater Swift honors 19th-century American astronomer Lewis A. Swift (Feb. 29, 1820-Jan. 5, 1913).

Swift Crater’s name approval in 1976 entailed an upgrade in the crater’s status to primary crater. Prior to its official name change, Swift Crater was thought to be a satellite crater, with Peirce Crater as its parent body. As a satellite, Swift was designated as Peirce B.

The International Astronomical Union approved primary crater Peirce’s name in 1935, during the organization’s Vth (5th) General Assembly, held in Paris, France, from Wednesday, July 10, to Wednesday, July 17. Lunar Crater Peirce honors 19th-century American mathematician Benjamin Peirce (April 4, 1809-Oct. 6, 1880).

Lewis Swift specialized in discovering comets and nebulae. He is credited with discovering 15 comets and 1,342 new nebulae, according to a Rochester Post-Express article that was printed in the Feb. 2, 1902, issue of The New York Times. The tally is given as 13 comets and 1,248 nebulae in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers (2007 edition). Swift’s nebula discoveries have earned for the conscientious observational astronomer recognition as history’s third most prolific discoverer of nebulae. German-British observational astronomer Sir William Herschel (Nov. 15, 1738-Aug. 25, 1822) rates as Earth’s most successful nebulae discoverer, with 2,500 nebular finds to his credit.

The takeaways for near side lunar Crater Swift, which honors 19th-century American astronomer Lewis Swift, are that the small lunar crater has a bowl-shaped formation, with inner walls sloping to a small floor; that, prior to official naming as primary lunar Crater Swift in 1976, the Mare Crisium-based crater was thought to be nearby Peirce Crater’s satellite, designated as Peirce B; and that Swift Crater's namesake is rated as history's third-most prolific nebulae discoverer.

Detail of Apollo 17 image, taken Dec. 14, 1972, at a spacecraft altitude of 112.25 kilometers, during lunar orbit 49, with black and white panoramic camera, gives oblique view, looking north, of Swift Crater in Mare Crisium; NASA ID AS17-P-2691; Apollo Image Archive, NASA / JSC (Johnson Space Center) / Arizona State University: JStuby (James L. Stuby), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography shows Swift Crater (center left) in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises) in lunar near side’s northeastern quadrant; the primary crater was formerly designated, under the name of Peirce B, as a satellite of Peirce Crater (center left): U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/moon_nearside.pdf

Detail of Apollo 17 image, taken Dec. 14, 1972, at a spacecraft altitude of 112.25 kilometers, during lunar orbit 49, with black and white panoramic camera, gives oblique view, looking north, of Swift Crater in Mare Crisium; NASA ID AS17-P-2691; Apollo Image Archive, NASA / JSC (Johnson Space Center) / Arizona State University: JStuby (James L. Stuby), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swift_crater_AS17-P-2691.jpg

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