Maxwell Crater Honors Scottish Mathematical Physicist James Maxwell

Summary: The lunar far side’s Maxwell Crater honors Scottish mathematical physicist James Maxwell, who explored electromagnetic radiation and Saturn’s rings.

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography shows Maxwell Crater (upper center) with overlapped northern neighbor Richardson and overlapping southern neighbor Lomonosov in the lunar near side’s northwestern quadrant: U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

The lunar far side’s Maxwell Crater honors Scottish mathematical physicist James Maxwell, whose astronomical contributions included research in electromagnetic radiation and proving the particulate nature of Saturn’s rings.

Erosion roughens the circularity of Maxwell Crater’s generally uneven rim. The interior floor’s levelness contrasts with the crater’s degraded rim.

Maxwell Crater is centered at 29.9 degrees north latitude, 98.53 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northern hemisphere crater registers northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 31.71 degrees north and 28.1 degrees north, respectively. The eastern hemisphere crater records easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 100.6 degrees east and 96.45 degrees east, respectively. Maxwell Crater’s diameter spans 109.24 kilometers.

The far side crater occupies a substantial portion of the southwestern part of Richardson Crater. Maxwell Crater intrudes across Richardson’s rim and overlies nearly half of Richardson’s interior floor with its outer rampart. Maxwell’s northeastern rim marks Richardson’s approximate midpoint.

Richardson Crater is centered at 30.93 degrees south latitude, 99.89 degrees east longitude. The large impact crater’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at 33.63 degrees north and 28.27 degrees north, respectively. Richardson obtains easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 103.06 degrees east and 96.8 degrees east, respectively. Richardson’s diameter measures 162.56 kilometers.

While Maxwell Crater extensively superimposes northern neighbor Richardson, its southern portion is overwhelmed by southern neighbor Lomonosov. Resurfacing by lava flows has darkened Lomonosov’s dark, level interior floor.

Lomonosov Crater is centered at 27.35 degrees south latitude, 98.28 east longitude. The northern hemisphere impact crater’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes reach to 28.85 degrees north and 25.85 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend to 99.96 degrees east and 96.59 degrees east, respectively. Lomonosov Crater has a diameter of 90.69 kilometers.

Maxwell Crater lies to the northeast of Mare Marginis (Sea of the Edge). The dark, basaltic plain is found along the far side’s eastern limb.

Mare Marginis is centered at 12.7 degrees south latitude, 86.52 degrees east longitude. The irregularly shaped lunar mare records northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 18.59 degrees north and 9.81 degrees north, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes are found at 93.35 degrees east and 81.15 degrees east. Mare Marginis has a diameter of 357.63 kilometers.

Maxwell Crater received official name approval in 1961 at the International Astronomical Union’s XIth (11th) General Assembly, held Tuesday, Aug. 15, to Thursday, Aug. 24, in Berkeley, California. Prior to its formal naming, Maxwell Crater was identified as Crater 112.

Maxwell Crater honors 19th-century Scottish mathematical physicist James Clerk Maxwell (June 13, 1831-Nov. 5, 1879). In a tribute in Cambridge University’s commemorative volume on the centenary of Maxwell’s birth, German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879-April 18, 1955) recognized the significance of researches on electromagnetism by Maxwell and by 19th-century English chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (Sept. 22, 1791-Aug. 25, 1867). “The greatest alteration in the axiomatic basis of physics --- in our conception of the structure of reality -- since the foundation of theoretical physics by Newton, originated in the researches of Faraday and Maxwell on electromagnetic phenomena” (pages 66-67).

Maxwell’s scientific contributions also included studying Saturn’s rings. His determination of the particulate nature of Saturn’s rings, published in 1859, was confirmed by the Voyager 1 and 2 flybys in 1980 and 1981, respectively.

The formal naming of Maxwell Crater’s southern neighbor, Lomonosov Crater, also occurred in 1961. Lomonosov Crater honors 18th-century Russian scientist, grammarian, mosaicist and writer Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov (Nov. 19, 1711-April 15, 1765).

Maxwell Crater’s northern neighbor, Richardson Crater, received official name approval in 1979 during the IAU’s XVIIth (17th) General Assembly, held Tuesday, Aug. 14, to Thursday, Aug. 23, in Montreal, Canada. Richardson Crater’s namesake is Sir Owen Willans Richardson (April 26, 1879-Feb. 15, 1959). The British quantum physicist received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1928 for his research on thermionic emission, temperature-based release of electrons from an electrode, and for his associated discovery of the formula named after him, Richardson’s Law.

The takeaways for the lunar far side’s Crater Maxwell, which honors 19th-century Scottish mathematical physicist James Clerk Maxwell, are that the fairly circular, smooth-floored crater was identified as Crater 112 prior to its formal naming in 1961; that Maxwell superimposes its larger, northern neighbor, Richardson Crater, and is overlain by its smaller, southern neighbor, Lomonosov Crater; and that Maxwell’s namesake was esteemed by 20th-century genius Albert Einstein for his research on electromagnetism.

Oblique view, obtained by Apollo 16 mission, shows the lunar far side’s Maxwell Crater (center), overlapped by southern neighbor Lomonosov (lower left); NASA ID AS16-M-3008: Apollo Image Archive, NASA / JSC (Johnson Space Center) / Arizona State University: Jstuby (James L. Stuby), Public Domain (CC0 1.0), 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 Maxwell Crater (upper center) with overlapped northern neighbor Richardson and overlapping southern neighbor Lomonosov in the lunar near side’s northeastern quadrant: U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/moon_farside.pdf

Oblique view, obtained by Apollo 16 mission, shows the lunar far side’s Maxwell Crater (center), overlapped by southern neighbor Lomonosov (lower left); NASA ID AS16-M-3008: Apollo Image Archive, NASA / JSC (Johnson Space Center) / Arizona State University: Jstuby (James L. Stuby), Public Domain (CC0 1.0), via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maxwell_crater_AS16-M-3008_ASU.jpg

For further information:

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3765

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