- Langrenus (crater)
lunar crater data
latitude=8.9
N_or_S=S
longitude=60.9
E_or_W=W
diameter=132 km
depth=2.7 km
colong=300
eponym=Michel F. van LangrenLangrenus is a prominent
impact crater located near the eastern lunar limb. The feature is circular in shape, but appears oblong due to foreshortening. It lies on the eastern shore of theMare Fecunditatis . To the south is the overlapping crater pair Vendelinus and the smaller Lamé.The inner wall of Langrenus is wide and irregularly d, with an average width of about 20
kilometers . The outer s are irregular and hilly, and there is a bright, fragmentedray system spread across the "maria" to the west. The interior of the crater has a higheralbedo than the surroundings, so the crater stands out prominently when theSun is overhead. The crater floor is covered by manyboulder s, and is slightly irregular in the northwest half. The central peaks rise about akilometer above the floor, and a peak on the eastern rim ascends to an altitude of 3 km.During the
Apollo 8 mission,Astronaut James Lovell described Langrenus as, "quite a huge crater; it's got a central cone to it. The walls of the crater are terraced, about six or seven terraces on the way down."In the past this crater has not been noted as a site for observing
transient lunar phenomenon . However on December 30,1992 , Audouin Dollfus of the Observatoire de Paris observed a series of glows on the floor of this crater using the one-metertelescope . These glows changed form with time, and Professor Dollfus expressed the belief that this was likely a gaseous emission. The cracked floor of the crater may have been the source of the gas.The Flemish Astronomer
Michel Florent van Langren was the first person to draw a lunar map while giving names to many of the features. He even named this crater after himself. Ironically, this is the only one of his named features that has retained his original designation.atellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Langrenus.
Many of the more significant associated craters that surround Langrenus have since been renamed by the IAU.
* Langrenus A — "See" Barkla.
* Langrenus B — "See" Naonobu.
* Langrenus C — "See" Acosta crater.
* Langrenus D — "See" Al-Marrakushi.
* Langrenus F — "See" Bilharz.
* Langrenus J — "See" Somerville.
* Langrenus K — "See" Atwood.References
External links
* cite web
last = Wood | first = Chuck | date = November 25, 2007
url = http://www.lpod.org/?m=20071125
title = Moving Eastward
publisher = Lunar Photo of the Day
accessdate = 2007-11-26
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/789095.stm Lights glow on Moon]
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