Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Aloha Resides in East Central Oceanus Procellarum on Lunar Near Side


Summary: Aloha resides in the east central Oceanus Procellarum on the lunar near side as a craterlet northwest of the northwestern quadrant's Montes Agricola.


Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows Aloha's (upper left center) Montes Agricola neighborhood in lunar near side's east central Oceanus Procellarum: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Aloha resides in the east central Oceanus Procellarum on the lunar near side as a craterlet that neighbors to the northwest of the northwestern quadrant's Montes Agricola.
Aloha is centered at 29.79 degrees north latitude, minus 53.88 degrees west longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northern hemisphere craterlet establishes its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 29.83 degrees north and 29.75 degrees north, respectively. It finds its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 53.83 degrees west and minus 53.93 degrees west, respectively. Aloha Craterlet has a diameter of 2.55 kilometers.
Aloha Craterlet is located in the east central Oceanus Procellarum. Aloha lies to the west-southwest of the highland break that marks the joining of eastern Oceanus Procellarum with western Mare Imbrium.
Mare Imbrium ("Sea of Showers") is centered at 34.72 degrees north latitude, minus 14.91 degrees west longitude. The dark, basaltic plain's northernmost and southernmost latitudes stretch to 51.46 degrees north and 15.23 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes touch 8.56 degrees east and minus 38.36 degrees west, respectively. Mare Imbrium's diameter spans 1,145.53 kilometers.
Oceanus Procellarum ("Ocean of Storms") sprawls across the lunar near side's northwestern and southwestern quadrants as the moon's largest mare (Latin: "sea"). It is the only mare with the designation of Oceanus. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature's Descriptor Terms (Feature Types) defines "oceanus, oceani" as: "A very large dark area on the moon."
Oceanus Procellarum is centered at 20.67 degrees north latitude, minus 56.68 degrees west longitude. Its vast darkness records northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 57.43 degrees north and minus 16.27 degrees south, respectively. It registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 26.85 degrees west and minus 81.08 degrees west, respectively. Oceanus Procellarum's diameter spans 2,592.24 kilometers.
Montes Agricola lies to the southeast of Aloha Craterlet. The elongated mountain range trends southwest-northeast near Oceanus Procellarum's east central edge.
Montes Agricola is centered at 29.06 degrees north latitude, minus 54.07 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to 30.64 degrees north and 27.2 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes touch minus 51.73 degrees west and minus 56.41 degrees west, respectively. Montes Agricola's diameter measures 159.76 kilometers.
Rima Cleopatra frames Aloha Craterlet to the north. The fissure parallels Montes Agricola's southwest-northeast trend and makes a dramatic southward turn to form a hook at its northern end.
Rima Cleopatra is centered at 30.03 degrees north latitude, minus 53.8 degrees west longitude. The fissure's northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at 30.15 degrees north and 29.97 degrees north, respectively. It marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 53.57 degrees west and minus 54.04 degrees west, respectively. Rima Cleopatra's diameter, or greatest length, measures 14.66 kilometers.
Wollaston U and Wollaston V occur as Aloha Crater's nearest named craters. They are located as the two westernmost of the Wollaston Crater system's six satellites.
Wollaston V lies to the west-southwest of Wollaston U. Satellite V's position to the north-northwest of Aloha makes it the closer of the two satellites to the craterlet. Satellite U is positioned to the northeast of Aloha.
Wollaston U is centered at 30.99 degrees north latitude, minus 52.87 degrees west longitude. It places its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 31.03 degrees south and 30.94 degrees south, respectively. It finds its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 52.81 degrees west and minus 52.92 degrees west, respectively. Wollaston U has a diameter of 2.87 kilometers.
Wollaston V is centered at 30.89 degrees north latitude, minus 53.98 degrees west longitude. It posts northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 30.95 degrees north and 30.84 degrees north, respectively. It marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 53.91 degrees west and minus 54.04 degrees west, respectively. Wollaston V has a diameter of 3.16 kilometers.
Aloha numbers among 95 minor features identified with first-name designations on lunar topophotomaps prepared and published by The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Aloha is plotted on NASA Lunar Topophotomap 38B2S1, which was published in May 1974. The map's Names Information lists "Aloha, Cleopatra" as unofficial names used "only for the identification of features on this map."
The International Astronomical Union approved Aloha as the craterlet's official name in 1976. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature originates Aloha as: "Hawaiian female first name."

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 38 shows Aloha's (center) Montes Agricola neighborhood in lunar near side's east central Oceanus Procellarum: image credit NASA/GSFC/ASU, 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 Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows Aloha's (upper left center) Montes Agricola neighborhood in lunar near side's east central Oceanus Procellarum: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VallisSchr%C3%B6teriLOC.jpg
Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 38 shows Aloha's (center) Montes Agricola neighborhood in lunar near side's east central Oceanus Procellarum: image credit NASA/GSFC/ASU, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/Lunar/lac_38_wac.pdf

For further information:
Andersson, Leif E.; and Ewen A. Whitaker. NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA Reference Publication 1097. Hampton VA: NASA Scientific and Technical Information Branch, October 1982.
Available via NASA NTRS (NASA Technical Reports Server) @ https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19830003761/downloads/19830003761.pdf
Consolmagno, Guy; and Dan M. Davis. Turn Left at Orion. Fourth edition. Cambridge UK; New York NY: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
The Defense Mapping Agency Topographic Center. "Lunar Topophotomap Montes Agricola." National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lunar Topophotomap Edition 1 Sheet 38B2S1 (50). Washington DC: The Defense Mapping Agency Topographic Center, May 1974.
Available @ https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/topophoto/38B2S1/150dpi.jpg
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Aloha.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/199
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Descriptor Terms (Feature Types).” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Documentation.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Mare Imbrium.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3678
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Montes Agricola.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/4002
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Oceanus Procellarum.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/4395
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Rima Cleopatra.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/5051
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Wollaston U.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/13972
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Wollaston V.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ hhttps://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/13973
International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Target: The Moon.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon.
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The Moon Wiki. “Aloha.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > A Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Aloha
The Moon Wiki. “Ango.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > A Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Ango
The Moon Wiki. "Minor Feature." The Moon > Glossary.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Minor_Feature
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Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Rima_Cleopatra
The Moon Wiki. “Oceanus Procellarum.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > P Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Oceanus_Procellarum
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Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Rima_Cleopatra
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Available @ https://www.iau.org/publications/iau/transactions_b/


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