Elger Crater Parents Two Satellites Near Southern Palus Epidemiarum

Summary: Elger Crater parents two satellites along southern Palus Epidemiarum (Marsh of Epidemics) in the lunar near side’s southwestern quadrant.

Detail of Lunar Astronautical Charts (LAC) 111 shows Elger Crater system’s two satellites (center), Elger A and Elger B, with their nearest named neighbors, Hainzel H and Hainzel K, in the landscape to the northwest of Lacus Timoris (lower center); courtesy NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) / GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center) / ASU (Arizona State University): U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Elger Crater parents two satellites near southern Palus Epidemiarum (Marsh of Epidemics), a small, dark, basaltic plain in the lunar near side’s southwestern quadrant.

Middle-latitude primary lunar impact crater Elger is centered at minus 35.4 degrees south latitude, minus 29.81 degrees west longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The lava-resurfaced crater posts northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 35.05 degrees south and minus 35.76 degrees south, respectively. It finds easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 29.38 degrees west and minus 30.23 degrees west, respectively. Elger Crater’s diameter measures 21.51 kilometers.

The primary crater, which resides along southern Palus Epidemiarum, parents two satellites, Elger A and Elger B. Both satellites lie to the southwest of their parent.

Elger A is located to the southeast of Elger B. Elger A’s placement qualifies it as the more easterly and the more southerly of the Elger Crater system’s two satellites. Elger B’s placement qualifies it as the more westerly and the more northerly of the Elger Crater system’s two satellites.

Elger A is centered at minus 37.37 degrees south latitude, minus 31.24 degrees west longitude. The Elger Crater system’s more southerly satellite limits its northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 37.23 degrees south and minus 37.5 degrees south, respectively. The Elger Crater system’s more easterly satellite confines its easternmost and westernmost longitudes to minus 31.07 degrees west and minus 31.41 degrees west, respectively. Elger A has a diameter of 8.11 kilometers.

Elger B is centered at minus 37.12 degrees south latitude, minus 32.1 degrees west longitude. The Elger Crater system’s more northerly satellite marks its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 36.98 degrees south and minus 37.27 degrees south, respectively. The Elger Crater system’s most westerly satellite establishes its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 31.92 degrees west and minus 32.28 degrees west, respectively. Elger B’s diameter measures 8.8 kilometers.

Hainzel H and Hainzel K reside as the nearest named neighbors of the two Elger Crater system satellites. Hainzel H and Hainzel K number among the Hainzel Crater system’s 18 satellites.

Both of the Hainzel satellites are located closer to Elger B than to Elger A. Hainzel K lies to the south-southwest of Elger B and to the southwest of Elger A. Hainzel H is sited to the east-northeast. Elger B is situated between Elger A and Hainzel H.

Hainzel H is centered at minus 36.97 degrees south latitude, minus 33.17 degrees west longitude. It records northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 36.82 degrees south and minus 37.12 degrees south, respectively. It registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 32.96 degrees west and minus 33.38 degrees west, respectively. Hainzel H has a diameter of 10.95 kilometers.

Hainzel K is centered at minus 37.55 degrees south latitude, minus 32.31 degrees west longitude. It obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 37.33 degrees south and minus 37.76 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes occur at minus 32.04 degrees west and minus 32.59 degrees west, respectively. Hainzel K’s diameter measures 13.15 kilometers.

Elger A and Elger B lie to the northwest of Lacus Timoris (Lake of Fear). The dark, narrow Lake of Fear slants with a northwest-southeast orientation across the lunar near side’s southwestern quadrant.

Lacus Timoris is centered at minus 39.42 degrees south latitude, minus 27.95 degrees west longitude. The small, southern hemisphere lunar mare’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes are obtained at minus 38.29 degrees south and minus 41.19 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are found at minus 25.25 degrees west and minus 31.07 degrees west, respectively. Lacus Timoris has a length of 153.65 kilometers.

The takeaways for Elger Crater’s parentage of two satellites near southern Palus Epidemiarum (Marsh of Epidemics) are that the Elger Crater system’s two satellites, Elger A and Elger B, lie to the southwest of their parent; that the nearest named neighbors of Elger A and Elger B are Hainzel Crater system satellites Hainzel H and Hainzel K; and that the Elger satellites reside to the northwest of Lacus Timoris (Lake of Fear).

Detail of Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows southwestern quadrant’s Lacus Timoris (center) and Palus Epidemiarum (center top), the two near side lunar mare framing the Elger Crater system: U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Detail of Lunar Astronautical Charts (LAC) 111 shows Elger Crater system’s two satellites (center), Elger A and Elger B, with their nearest named neighbors, Hainzel H and Hainzel K, in the landscape to the northwest of Lacus Timoris (lower center); courtesy NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) / GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center) / ASU (Arizona State University): U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/Lunar/lac_111_wac.pdf

Detail of Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows southwestern quadrant’s Lacus Timoris (center) and Palus Epidemiarum (center top), the two near side lunar mare framing the Elger Crater system: U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/moon_nearside.pdf

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/1763

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9674

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3220

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/4565

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