Ross is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northwest part of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It was named after James Clark Ross (British explorer) and Frank E. Ross (American astronomer and optician).[1] It lies south-southwest of the crater Plinius, and northeast of the lava-flooded Maclear.

The crater(top right) area in a Selenochromatic format Image (Si)
Ross
Coordinates11°42′N 21°42′E / 11.7°N 21.7°E / 11.7; 21.7
Diameter24 km
Depth1.8 km
Colongitude338° at sunrise
EponymJames C. Ross and Frank Elmore Ross

This crater has a generally circular shape, but is not quite symmetrical. The inner walls slope down to a base of slumped material, before joining a relatively level interior floor. There is a low ridge to the west of the crater midpoint.

Ross crater and its satellite craters taken from Earth in 2012 at the University of Hertfordshire's Bayfordbury Observatory with the telescopes Meade LX200 14" and Lumenera Skynyx 2-1

Satellite craters

edit

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Ross.

 
Oblique view facing south from Apollo 15
 
Cross sections of Ross crater with different elevations of each direction.
Ross Latitude Longitude Diameter
B 11.4° N 20.2° E 6 km
C 11.7° N 19.0° E 5 km
D 12.6° N 23.3° E 9 km
E 11.1° N 23.4° E 4 km
F 10.9° N 24.2° E 5 km
G 10.7° N 24.9° E 5 km
H 10.2° N 21.8° E 5 km

References

edit
  1. ^ "Ross (lunar crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
edit