Halley Crater Parents Four Satellites Southeast of Sinus Medii

Summary: Halley Crater parents four satellites southeast of Sinus Medii (Bay of the Center) in the lunar near side’s southeastern quadrant.

Detail of Lunar Astronautical Chart (LAC) 77 shows the lunar near side’s Halley Crater system’s primary crater, Halley, and four satellites; courtesy NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) / GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center) / ASU (Arizona State University): Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Halley Crater parents four satellites southeast of Sinus Medii (Bay of the Center) in the southern equatorial latitudes of the near side’s southeastern quadrant.

Halley Crater is centered at minus 8.05 degrees south latitude, 5.73 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The southern hemisphere crater places its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 7.48 degrees south and minus 8.62 degrees south, respectively. The eastern hemisphere crater establishes its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 6.31 degrees east and 5.15 degrees east, respectively. Halley Crater’s diameter spans 34.59 kilometers.

Halley Crater parents a quartet of satellites. Its four satellites assume southerly placements with respect to their parent.

Halley B lies to the west-southwest of its parent. Both Halley Crater and Halley B are positioned as intruders into the southern rim of their western neighbor, Hipparchus Crater. Halley B’s placement qualifies it as the most westerly of the Halley Crater system’s four satellites.

Halley B is centered at minus 8.48 degrees south latitude, 4.45 degrees east longitude. Satellite B confines its northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 8.39 degrees south and minus 8.57 degrees south, respectively. It restricts its easternmost and westernmost longitudes to 4.55 degrees east and 4.36 degrees east, respectively. Halley B’s diameter of 5.45 kilometers qualifies it as the largest of the Halley Crater system’s four satellites.

Halley K snuggles against its parent’s southern rim. Satellite K is centered at minus 8.57 degrees south latitude, 5.82 degrees east longitude. It trims into northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 8.49 degrees south and minus 8.64 degrees south, respectively. It narrows its easternmost and westernmost longitudes to 5.89 degrees east and 5.79 degrees east, respectively. Halley K has a diameter of 4.45 kilometers.

Halley G lies to the southwest of its parent. Satellite G is positioned on the western side of the valleyed scar that cuts through Halley Crater’s western rim and slashes the terrain to the southeast.

Halley G is centered at minus 8.57 degrees south latitude, 5.82 degrees east longitude. The satellite’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes are limited to minus 8.49 degrees south and minus 8.64 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes occur at 5.89 degrees east and 5.74 degrees east, respectively. Halley G has a diameter of 4.45 kilometers.

Halley G’s diameter is identical to Halley K’s diameter. Halley G and Halley K tie for the rank of smallest satellite in the Halley Crater system.

Halley C resides to the southeast of its parent and of Halley G. Halley C is located on the eastern side of the valley that scars the Halley Crater system’s southeastern terrain. Halley C’s placement qualifies it as the most easterly and the most southerly of the Halley Crater system’s four satellites. Halley C lies the most distantly of the Halley Crater system’s satellites from its parent.

Halley C is centered at minus 9.88 degrees south latitude, 6.63 degrees east longitude. The satellite reduces its northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 9.81 degrees south and minus 9.96 degrees south, respectively. It confines its easternmost and westernmost longitudes to 6.7 degrees east and 6.55 degrees east, respectively. Halley C’s diameter measures 4.7 kilometers.

The Halley Crater system occupies the central equatorial region of the near side’s portion of the moon’s southern hemisphere. The primary and four satellite craters lie to the southeast of Sinus Medii (Bay of the Center).

Sinus Medii’s name reflects its placement at the intersection of the lunar equator and prime meridian. The meeting of zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude occurs in the central area of the lunar near side. Sinus Medii’s placement qualifies the small lunar mare for occupancy in all four lunar hemispheres: eastern and western hemispheres, northern and southern hemispheres.

Sinus Medii is centered at 1.63 degrees north latitude, 1.03 degrees east longitude. The equatorial lunar mare’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to 4.64 degrees north and minus 2.05 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes reach 5.55 degrees east and minus 3.37 degrees west. Sinus Medii’s diameter spans 286.67 kilometers.

The takeaways for Halley Crater’s parentage of four satellites southeast of Sinus Medii (Bay of the Center) are that the quartet of satellites associates with their parent’s southern half; that Halley B, the Halley Crater system’s most westerly satellite, qualifies as the system’s largest satellite; that Halley G and Halley K tie as the Halley Crater system’s smallest satellites; and that the most distant satellite, Halley C, qualifies as the most easterly and most southerly of the Halley Crater system’s four satellites.

View obtained November 1969 with Hasselblad camera during Apollo 12 mission shows Halley Crater system (labels added); film magazine 50/Q; NASA ID AS12-50-7430: 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 Lunar Astronautical Chart (LAC) 77 shows the lunar near side’s Halley Crater system’s primary crater, Halley, and four satellites; courtesy NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) / GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center) / ASU (Arizona State University): Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/Lunar/lac_77_wac.pdf

View obtained November 1969 with Hasselblad camera during Apollo 12 mission shows Halley Crater system (labels added); film magazine 50/Q; NASA ID AS12-50-7430: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AS12-50-7430_(21676574416).jpg;
Project Apollo Archive (Apollo Image Gallery), Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectapolloarchive/21676574416/

For further information:

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/2330

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9692

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9693

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9694

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9695

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Sinus Medii.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/ 5567

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