Wright (lunar crater)

Wright

Oblique Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates 31°36′S 86°36′W / 31.6°S 86.6°W / -31.6; -86.6Coordinates: 31°36′S 86°36′W / 31.6°S 86.6°W / -31.6; -86.6
Diameter 40 km
Depth unknown
Colongitude 87° at sunrise
Eponym Frederick E. Wright,
Thomas Wright,
and William H. Wright

Wright is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon. It lies on the irregular plain between the Montes Cordillera and Montes Rook, two ring-shaped mountain ranges that surround the Mare Orientale. Just to the southeast of the crater is the slightly larger crater Shaler. To the north of Wright is the crater Pettit.

The outer rim of Wright is somewhat irregular, with an outward bulge along the northeastern side. The rim is sharp-edged, and the inner walls have slumped down to form a shelf along parts of the side. The interior floor is uneven surfaced, particularly in the eastern half. The satellite crater Wright A lies about half a crater diameter to the south-southwest, along the edge of the Montes Cordillera.

Due to the location of this crater, it is viewed nearly edge-on from Earth, limiting the amount of detail that can be seen. In addition, this crater can sometimes become hidden from sight due to libration of the Moon in its orbit.

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 Wright.

Wright Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 32.8° S 87.2° W 11 km

See also

References

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  • Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05. 
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  • McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24. 
  • Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. 
  • Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6. 
  • Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3. 
  • Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4. 
  • Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3. 
  • Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6. 
  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1. 
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