Summary: Airy Crater honors British astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy, who, as Astronomer Royal, established Greenwich as the prime meridian’s location.
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| Detail of Lunar Astronautical Charts (LAC) 95 shows Airy Crater as a busy primary crater with 17 of the Airy Crater system’s 19 satellites and as southernmost end of chain of three craters, with Vogel (not shown) at northern end and Argelander at trio's midpoint; 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 |
Airy Crater honors British astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy, who, during his tenure as Astronomer Royal, succeeded in
establishing Greenwich, South East England, as the new Prime Meridian.
Airy Crater is a lunar impact crater in the near side’s southeastern quadrant. Airy’s worn rim has breaks in its northern and southern ends. A central peak arises from the crater’s rough interior floor.
Airy Crater is centered at minus 18.14 degrees south latitude, 5.61 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The southern hemisphere crater establishes its northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 17.5 degrees south and minus 18.78 degrees south, respectively. The
equatorial crater sets its easternmost and westernmost longitudes to 6.29 degrees east and 4.94 degrees east, respectively. Airy Crater’s diameter measures 38.9 kilometers.
Airy occurs as the southernmost member of a chain of three craters that form a north-south alignment and that exhibit size increases from north to south. Vogel Crater anchors the northernmost end. Argelander Crater is positioned as the chain’s middle member.
Vogel Crater occurs as the smallest member of the chain. Small craters mar Vogel’s northern and southern ends.
Vogel Crater is centered at minus 15.11 degrees south latitude, 5.83 degrees east longitude. It narrows its northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 14.67 degrees south and minus 15.54 degrees south, respectively. It confines its easternmost and westernmost longitudes to 6.28 degrees east and 5.38 degrees east, respectively. Vogel Crater has a
diameter of 26.3 kilometers.
Argelander, the chain’s midpoint crater, exhibits a worn rim with a rampart on its western side. A small central feature arises from the fairly flat interior floor.
Argelander is centered at minus 16.55 degrees south latitude, 5.8 degrees east longitude. It posts northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 15.99 degrees south and minus 17.11 degrees south, respectively. It marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 6.38 degrees east and 5.22 degrees east, respectively. Argelander Crater’s diameter measures 33.72 kilometers.
The Vogel-Argelander-Airy chain lies to the east of Mare Nubium. The irregularly shaped Sea of Clouds claims residency in the near side’s portions of the moon’s southern and western hemispheres.
Mare Nubium is centered at minus 20.59 degrees south latitude, minus 17.29 degrees west longitude. The lunar mare (Latin: mare, “sea”) obtains its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 11.85 degrees south and minus 30.48 degrees south, respectively. The dark, basaltic plain’s easternmost and westernmost longitudes occur at minus 5.45 degrees west and minus 29.27 degrees west, respectively. Mare Nubium’s length spans 714.5 kilometers.
The moon’s prime meridian lies between Airy Crater and Mare Nubium’s eastern edge. The prime meridian’s longitude of zero degrees demarcates the moon’s eastern and western hemispheres. The prime meridian’s imaginary line traverses the lunar near side’s surface in its north and south polar linkage.
The prime meridian’s opposite is the 180th meridian. The lunar prime meridian’s antemeridian occurs on the dark side of the moon.
Airy Crater parents 19 satellites among the jumble of craters in the near side’s central region. The equatorial-latitude Airy Crater system’s satellites mostly fan somewhat distantly from their parent’s eastern side.
Airy Crater honors British astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy (July 27, 1801-Jan. 2, 1892). The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved Airy as the lunar impact 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 Airy Crater system’s 19 satellites were approved in 2006.
Sir George’s astronomical accomplishments include updating the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in South East England during his lengthy tenure as Astronomer Royal. He was appointed as the seventh Astronomer Royal on June 18, 1835, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich website. He remained in the post until his resignation Aug. 15, 1881.
Sir George designed the telescope that bears his name, the Airy Transit Circle. The first observation, known as first light, was taken on Jan. 4, 1851, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich’s website. The greatly accurate telescope was used to define the “Prime Meridian of the World,” zero degrees longitude. The Universal Day started at Greenwich.
Sir George was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRAS) on Jan. 21, 1836. He served as President of the Royal Society (PRAS) from 1871 to 1873.
Sir George served four terms as President of the Royal Astronomical Society (PRAS): 1835-1837, 1849-1851, 1853-1855, 1863-1864. Sir George shares the record for most-termed Royal Society presidency with English astronomer Francis Baily (April 28, 1774-Aug. 30, 1844), according to the Royal Astronomical Society’s website. Baily is credited as the first complete describer of the diamond ring phenomenon, known as Baily’s beads, associated with annular and total solar eclipses.
The takeaways for Airy Crater, which honors British astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy, are that the worn, broken-rimmed lunar impact crater lies in the lunar near side’s southeastern quadrant; that the southern hemisphere crater resides in the near side’s central region, to the near east of the moon’s prime meridian and on the other side of the prime meridian from Mare Nubium (Sea of Clouds); that the equatorial region crater parents 19 satellites; that the crater’s namesake is credited with designing the Airy Transit Circle, which established the terrestrial prime meridian at Greenwich in South East England; and that Sir George’s astronomical accomplishments include sharing the record as most-termed President of the Royal Society (PRAS) with English astronomer Francis Baily.
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| view of Airy Crater, obtained in 1967 by Lunar Orbiter IV; NASA ID 4101 H2: James Stuby (Jstuby), 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:
Image credits:
Detail of Lunar Astronautical Charts (LAC) 95 shows Airy Crater as a busy primary crater with 17 of the Airy Crater system’s 19 satellites and as southernmost end of chain of three craters, with Vogel (not shown) at northern end and Argelander at trio's midpoint; 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_95_wac.pdf
view of Airy Crater, obtained in 1967 by Lunar Orbiter IV; NASA ID 4101 H2: James Stuby (Jstuby), Public Domain (CC0 1.0), via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Airy_crater_4101_h2.jpg
For further information:
For further information:
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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/7113
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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/7119
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