Earth and Space News: Gutenberg Crater Parents Nine Satellites on Southwest Mare Fecunditatis

Summary: Gutenberg Crater parents nine satellites on southwest Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fecundity), an equator-straddling lava plain on the moon’s near side.

Detail shows part of Gutenberg Crater system (center left) along southwestern Mare Fecunditatis; Gutenberg (40-42 degrees S, 8-10 degrees E), Gutenberg A (40 S, 9 E), Gutenberg South (41 S, 10 E), Gutenberg E (42-43 S, 8 E), Gutenberg D (43 S, 11 E), Gutenberg G (40 S, 6.5 W), Gutenberg H (39 S, 7 E), Gutenberg K (41 S, 7 E); D.P. Elston’s Geologic Map of the Colombo Quadrangle (1972): Dept. of Interior-US Geological Survey/NASA/USAF ACIC, via USGS Publications Warehouse

Gutenberg Crater parents nine satellites on southwest Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fecundity), a dark, equator-straddling lava plain occupying the lunar near side’s eastern hemisphere.

Primary crater Gutenberg is centered at minus 8.61 degrees south latitude, 41.25 east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The southern hemisphere crater marks northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 7.45 degrees south and minus 9.78 degrees south, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend to 42.43 degrees east and 40.07 degrees east, respectively. Gutenberg’s diameter spans 70.65 kilometers.

Three satellites nestle on their parent’s rim. Gutenberg A, C and E make western, southern and eastern intrusions, respectively.

A is centered at minus 9.03 degrees south latitude, 39.91 degrees east longitude. Northernmost and southernmost latitudes reach minus 8.78 degrees south and minus 9.27 degrees south, respectively. A registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 40.16 degrees east and 39.66 degrees east, respectively. A has a diameter of 14.8 kilometers.

C, also known as Gutenberg South, is centered at minus 10.04 degrees south latitude, 41.13 degrees east longitude. C obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 9.29 degrees south and minus 10.78 degrees south, respectively. C marks easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 41.89 degrees east and 40.37 degrees east, respectively. C’s diameter measures 45.21 kilometers.

E is centered at minus 8.22 degrees south latitude, 42.42 degrees east longitude. Northernmost and southernmost latitudes reach minus 7.75 degrees south and minus 8.68 degrees south, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend to 42.89 degrees east and 41.95 degrees east, respectively. E’s diameter measures 28.19 kilometers.

As the Gutenberg Crater system’s only western outlier, B resides to the west of Gutenberg rim satellite A. B is centered at minus 9.12 degrees south latitude, 38.32 degrees east longitude. B marks northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 8.89 degrees south and minus 9.35 degrees south, respectively. B registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 38.56 degrees east and 38.08 degrees east, respectively. The satellite has a diameter of 14.19 kilometers.

Three Gutenberg satellites lie north of their parent. K occupies the near north. Outliers G and H reside to the north-northwest and northwest, respectively.

K is centered at minus 7.3 degrees south latitude, 40.82 degrees east longitude. Northernmost and southernmost latitudes thin to minus 7.2 degrees south and minus 7.39 degrees south, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes narrow to 40.91 degrees east and 40.72 degrees east, respectively. K has a diameter of 5.64 kilometers.

G is centered at minus 6.05 degrees south latitude, 40.04 degrees east longitude. G obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 5.54 degrees south and minus 6.55 degrees south, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend to 40.55 degrees east and 39.53 degrees east, respectively. G’s diameter measures 30.64 kilometers.

H is centered at minus 6.75 degrees south latitude, 39.06 degrees east longitude. H trims northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 6.67 degrees south and minus 6.83 degrees south, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes narrow to 39.14 degrees east and 38.98 degrees east, respectively. H has a diameter of 4.77 kilometers.

Two Gutenberg satellites lie south-southeast of their parent. Satellite F hunkers to the north of larger neighbor D.

F is centered at minus 10.23 degrees south latitude, 42.61 degrees east longitude. The satellite trims its northernmost and southernmost latitudes to minus 10.11 degrees south and minus 10.35 degrees south, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes narrow to 42.73 degrees east and 42.49 degrees east, respectively. F has a diameter of 7.17 kilometers.

D is centered at minus 10.99 degrees south latitude, 42.84 degrees east longitude. D obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 10.66 degrees south and minus 11.32 degrees south, respectively. Easternmost and westernmost longitudes reach 43.17 degrees east and 42.5 degrees east, respectively. D’s diameter measures 20.07 kilometers.

The Gutenberg Crater system honors German inventor Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (ca. 1390/1400-Feb. 3, 1468). The IAU approved the parent crater’s name in 1935 and satellite designations in 2006.

The takeaways for Gutenberg Crater’s parentage of nine satellites on the southwestern Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fecundity) are that three satellites cling to their parent’s rim, that smallest satellite H’s diameter measures only 4.77 kilometers and that, at 45.21 kilometers, largest satellite C’s diameter equates to almost two-thirds of its parent’s 70.65-kilometer diameter.

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 79 shows Gutenberg Crater with nine satellites; scale 1:1,000,000; Mercator Projection: United States Air Force (USAF) Aeronautical Chart and Information Center (ACIC) via USGS/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:

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9613

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9614

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9615

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/9618

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Earth and Space News

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Gutenberg Crater Parents Nine Satellites on Southwest Mare Fecunditatis

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