Horrocks (crater)
Horrocks is a lunar impact crater located entirely within the eroded northeast rim of the much larger walled plain Hipparchus. Its diameter is 30 km. It was named after the 17th-century English astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks.[1][2] To the south of Horrocks are the craters Halley and Hind, Rhaeticus is to the north, and Pickering to the northeast. Gyldén and Saunder lie to the west and east, respectively.
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Coordinates | 4.0°S 5.9°E |
---|---|
Diameter | 30 km |
Depth | 3.0 km |
Colongitude | 355° at sunrise |
Eponym | Jeremiah Horrocks |


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The rim of Horrocks is somewhat irregular and polygonal, particularly with an outward protrusion on the eastern rim. It has a small outer rampart. The inner wall is slumped, particularly along the northwest where it forms a heap of talus. The interior floor is uneven, and it has a central mountain and hills. The crater is approximately 30 kilometers in diameter and 3 kilometers deep. It is from the Eratosthenian period, which lasted from 3.2 to 1.1 billion years ago.[2]
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Horrocks.[3]
Horrocks | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
M | 4.0° S | 7.6° E | 5 km |
U | 3.2° S | 4.8° E | 4 km |
References
- "Horrocks (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- Autostar Suite Astronomer Edition. CD-ROM. Meade, April 2006.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
External links

- Horrocks at The Moon Wiki
- Wood, Chuck (February 9, 2006). "Layers of History". Lunar Photo of the Day. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011.
- Wood, Chuck (May 27, 2007). "Drawings". Lunar Photo of the Day. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011.
- Wood, Chuck (April 30, 2009). "A Little Bit About a Normal Crater (written as A Little Bit about a Normal Crater)". Lunar Photo of the Day.