August 15, 2012
Credits: NASA/JPL-Apollo 17 Crew; additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/LXTT/IPF
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Copernicus is a prominent Lunar Impact Crater named after the Polish Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus; it is located in the Eastern Oceanus Procellarum and its estimated to be about 800 Million Years old (which means that it typifies the Impact Craters that formed during the so-called "Copernican Period" - such as that Period which, in the Lunar Geologic Timescale, runs from approximately 1,1 Billion Years ago to the present day).
Copernicus is visible from Earth just by using binoculars; it is found slightly to the North/West of the center of the Moon's Earth-facing Hemisphere. To its South, there is the Mare Insularum, while to the South-South West is the Impact Crater Reinhold. North of Copernicus are the Carpatus Montes, which lie on the Southern Edge of the Mare Imbrium and, finally, to the West of Copernicus, a group of dispersed Lunar Hills can be seen. Due to its (relatively speaking) youth, Copernicus Crater has remained in a relatively pristine shape since it formed. Its Rim has a discernible hexagonal form, with a Terraced Inner Wall and an approx. 30 Km wide, sloping Rampart that descends nearly a kilometer to the surrounding Mare. There are at least 3 (three) major distinct Terraces visible, as well as arc-shaped Landslides, probably caused by the slumping of the Inner Wall, as some portion of the Crater's Debris subsided. Still (likely) due to its recent formation, Copernicus' Floor has not been flooded by Lava. The Terrain along the bottom is hilly in the Southern Half, while the Northern Half is relatively smooth. The Central Peaks consist of 3 (three) isolated Mountainous Rises, climbing as high as 1,2 Km above the Floor itself. These Peaks are separated from each other by some narrow Valleys, and they form a rough line along an East-to-West Axis. InfraRed observations of these Peaks determined that they are primarily composed by the so-called "mafic" form of the Mineral Olivine. Based on high-resolution images from the NASA - Lunar Orbiter 5, Dr Terry W. Offield of the U.S. Geological Survey described Copernicus Crater as having:"...a Hummocky Crater Rim, numerous large Slump Blocks on the Crater Wall, and a complex of Central Peaks. Sets of Parallel Fractures, aligned with the Lunar Structure Grid, formed after the Crater Wall took its present form, but before the smoothest Floor Materials were emplaced. The smooth Floor Materials show a swirling pattern of Cracks like those seen on Terrestrial Lava Flows. These Materials are associated with numerous Hills that have Summit Craters and are probably small Volcanoes. Several low places on the Rim and Wall are partly filled by what appears to be Ponded Volcanic Material, or possibly Fluidized Impact Debris...". Mission: 17 Magazine: 151 Magazine Letter: OO Revolution: 63 Latitude: 5,6° North Longitude: 19,6° East Lens Focal Length: 250 mm Camera Tilt: 64° Camera Azimuth: 180 Camera Altitude: 114 Km Sun Elevation (on Local Horizon): 53° Mission Activity: REV 63 Film Type: SO-368 Film Width: 70 mm Film Color: color Visible Features: COPERNICUS, GAY-LUSSAC and GAY-LUSSAC A |
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