G. Bond Crater Honors American Astronomer George Phillips Bond

Summary: G. Bond Crater honors American astronomer George Phillips Bond, who co-discovered the seventh Saturnian moon with his father, William Cranch Bond.

Detail of Lunar Orbiter 4 photo shows G. Bond Crater (upper center; E-D 4-5) below flooded Hall Crater (E-D 2-3.5), with Rima G. Bond to the west (left; FE 1-7; D.E. Bowker and J.K. Hughes, Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon (1971), plate 124, Photo No. IV-79-H1: Public Domain, via NASA NTRS (NASA Technical Reports Server)

G. Bond Crater honors American astronomer George Phillips Bond, who co-discovered the seventh Saturnian moon with his father, William Cranch Bond, whom he succeeded as Harvard College Observatory (HCO) director.

G. Bond is a lunar impact crater that occupies the near side’s northeastern quadrant. The roughly circular crater’s sloping inner walls create a bowl-shape effect with the interior floor.

G. Bond is centered at 32.39 degrees north latitude, 36.32 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northern hemisphere crater confines northernmost and southernmost latitudes to 32.7 degrees north and 32.07 degrees north, respectively. It establishes easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 36.69 degrees east and 35.95 degrees east, respectively. G. Bond Crater has a diameter of 19.05 kilometers.

G. Bond parents five satellites. Three lie to the east of their parent. Two have southwesterly placements with respect to their parent.

G. Bond lies south of Lacus Somniorum (Lake of Dreams). The irregularly-shaped lunar mare is centered at 37.56 degrees north latitude, 30.8 degrees east longitude. The dark, basaltic plain’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to 41.5 degrees north and 33.22 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes reach 39.15 degrees east and 22.04 degrees east, respectively. Lacus Somniorium’s length spans 424.76 kilometers.

Hall Crater is G. Bond’s nearest named, non-G. Bond Crater system crater. G. Bond Crater’s northern neighbor lies in southeastern Lacus Somniorum.

Hall Crater is centered at 33.81 degrees north latitude, 36.75 degrees east longitude. The lava-flooded crater obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 34.33 degrees north and 33.29 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes occur at 37.38 degrees east and 36.12 degrees east, respectively. Hall Crater’s diameter measures 31.77 kilometers.

Rima G. Bond is a prominent rille (German: rille, “groove”) that receives its name from nearby G. Bond Crater. Rima G. Bond displays a somewhat arcing north-south orientation in its course to the west of G. Bond Crater and Hall Crater. Southeastern Lacus Somniorum claims the rille’s northern end. It finds its southern end near eastern G. Bond B.

Rima G. Bond is centered at 32.86 degrees north latitude, 35.25 degrees east longitude. It records northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 35.22 degrees north and 30.32 degrees north. It registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 36.61 degrees east and 34.96 degrees east, respectively. Rima G. Bond’s length spans 166.85 kilometers.

G. Bond Crater honors American astronomer George Phillips Bond (May 20, 1825-Feb. 17, 1865). The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved G. Bond as the crater’s official name in 1935, during the organization’s Vth (5th) General Assembly, held in Paris, France, from Wednesday, July 10, to Wednesday, July 17. The letter designations for the G. Bond Crater system's five satellites were approved in 2006.

Harvard College Observatory was founded in 1839 with George Phillips Bond’s father, American astronomer William Cranch Bond (Sept. 9, 1789-Jan. 29, 1859), as “Astronomical Observer to the University.” In 1846, William Cranch Bond was appointed as the observatory’s first director, with his son George as his assistant. Upon his father’s death in 1859, George was appointed as the observatory’s second director.

Astrophotography numbers among the father-and-son team’s areas of astronomical expertise. In the September 1890 issue of Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, American astronomers Edward Singleton Holden (Nov. 5, 1846-March 16, 1914) and William Wallace Campbell (April 11, 1862-June 14, 1938) credited the Bonds with the “first photographs of stars,” which were taken in the decade 1850 to 1860 at the Harvard College Observatory (page 250).

George Bond and American early photographer John Adams Whipple (Sept. 10, 1822-April 10, 1891) obtained the first photograph of a star on July 17, 1850, with their capture of the image of Alpha Lyrae (α Lyrae; Alpha Lyr, α Lyr), known traditionally as Vega, the brightest star in Lyra the Lyre constellation. Bond and Whipple used Harvard College Observatory’s 15-inch (38 centimeter) refractor telescope for their capture of Vega’s image on a 100-second exposure Daguerreotype plate, according to British astronomer and astronomy historian Stefan Hughes in his history of astrophotography, Catchers of the Light, published in 2012 (page 466).

The takeaways for G. Bond Crater, which honors American astronomer George Phillips Bond, are that the lunar impact crater lies southeast of Lacus Somniorum (Lake of Dreams) in the near side’s northeastern quadrant; that G. Bond Crater parents five satellites; that the lunar crater’s namesake was appointed in 1846 as assistant to his father, William Cranch Bond, at Harvard College Observatory; that he partnered with American early photographer John Adams Whipple to obtain the first photograph of a star, Vega (Alpha Lyrae) on July 17, 1850; and that, upon his father’s death in 1859, he succeeded his father as the observatory’s director.

Detail of Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows G. Bond Crater (lower right) as a middle-latitude crater lying southeast of Lacus Somniorum (Lake of Dreams) in the near side’s northeastern quadrant: 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 Orbiter 4 photo shows G. Bond Crater (upper center; E-D 4-5) below flooded Hall Crater (E-D 2-3.5), with Rima G. Bond to the west (left; FE 1-7; D.E. Bowker and J.K. Hughes, Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon (1971), plate 124, Photo No. IV-79-H1: Public Domain, via NASA NTRS (NASA Technical Reports Server) @ https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19730005152.pdf; via USRA (Universities Space Research Association) LPI (Lunar and Planetary Institute) @ https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunar_orbiter/bin/info.shtml?187

Detail of Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows G. Bond Crater (lower right) as a middle-latitude crater lying southeast of Lacus Somniorum (Lake of Dreams) in the 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_nearside.pdf

For further information:

Andersson, Leif E.; and Ewen A. Whitaker. NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA Reference Publication 1097. Washington DC: NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scientific and Technical Information Branch, October 1982.
Available via NASA NTRS (NASA Technical Reports Server) @ https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19830003761.pdf

Bowker, David E.; and J. Kenrick Hughes. “Photo No. IV-79-H1 Plate 124.” Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon. Prepared by Langley Research Center. NASA SP-206. Washington DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scientific and Technical Information Office, Jan. 1, 1971.
Available via NASA NTRS (NASA Technical Reports Server) @ http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19730005152
Available via Universities Space Research Association’s (USRA) Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) @ https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunar_orbiter/bin/info.shtml?272

Consolmagno, Guy; and Dan M. Davis. Turn Left at Orion. Fourth edition. Cambridge UK; New York NY: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Elger, Thomas Gwyn. “Bond, G.P.” The Moon: A Full Description and Map of Its Principal Physical Features: 53. London UK: George Philip & Son, 1895.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/moonfulldescript00elgerich/page/53

Elger, Thomas Gwyn. “Ring-Plains.” The Moon: A Full Description and Map of Its Principal Physical Features: 12-14. London UK: George Philip & Son, 1895.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/moonfulldescript00elgerich/page/12/Grego, Peter. The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers’ Observing Guides. London UK: Springer-Verlag, 2005.

Holden, Edward S. Memorials of William Cranch Bond, Director of the Harvard College Observatory 1840-1859, and of His Son, George Phillips Bond, Director of the Harvard College Observatory 1859-1865. San Francisco CA: C.A. Murdock & Co.; New York NY: Lemcke & Buechner, 1897.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/memorialsofwilli00holdiala/

Holden, Edward S.; and W.W. (William Wallace) Campbell. “Photographs of Alpha Lyrae in Broad Daylight.” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, vol. 2, no. 10 (September 1890): 249-250.
Available via IOP Science @ https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/120156

Hughes, Stefan. “V.1.9. ‘Starlight.’” Catchers of the Light: The Forgotten Lives of the Men and Women Who First Photographed the Heavens. Vol. 1 Catching Space, Part V Starlight: 484-487. Paphos, Cyprus: ArtDeCiel Publishing, 2012.
Available via Google Books @ https://books.google.com/books?id=iZk5OOf7fVYC

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “G. Bond.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/2046

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “G. Bond A.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9276

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “G. Bond B.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9277

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “G. Bond C.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/11354

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “G. Bond G.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9279

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “G. Bond K.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9280

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Hall.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/2327

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Lacus Somniorum.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3217

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Rima G. Bond.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/5060

Levy, David H. Skywatching. Revised and updated. San Francisco CA: Fog City Press, 1994.

Marriner, Derdriu. “W. Bond Crater Honors American Astronomer William Cranch Bond.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/09/w-bond-crater-honors-american.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “W. Bond Crater Parents Six Satellites Near Northern Mare Frigoris.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/09/w-bond-crater-parents-six-satellites.html

The Moon Wiki. “G. Bond.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > G Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/G._Bond

The Moon Wiki. “Hall.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > H Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Hall

The Moon Wiki. “IAU Directions.” The Moon.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/IAU_directions

The Moon Wiki. “Lacus Somniorum.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > S Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Lacus_Somniorum

The Moon Wiki. “Rima G. Bond.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > G Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Rima_G._Bond

Moore, Patrick, Sir. Philip’s Atlas of the Universe. Revised edition. London UK: Philip’s, 2005.

Neison, Edmund. “Bond (B.) [Posidonius G, M.].” The Moon, and the Condition and Configurations of Its Surface: 199-200. London UK: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1876.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/moonconditioncon00neis/page/199

Neison, Edmund. “Lacus Somniorum (R.).” The Moon, and the Condition and Configurations of Its Surface: 198-199. London UK: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1876.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/moonconditioncon00neis/page/198

Neison, Edmund. “Ring-plains.” The Moon, and the Condition and Configurations of Its Surface: 57-62. London UK: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1876.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/moonconditioncon00neis/page/56

Stratton, F.J.M. (Frederick John Marrian), ed. Vth General Assembly Transactions of the IAU Vol. V B Proceedings of the 5th General Assembly Paris France, July 10-17, 1935. Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, Jan. 1, 1936.
Available @ https://www.iau.org/publications/iau/transactions_b/