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Mersenius crater – wrinkles between Humorum and Procellarum


Mersenius crater
 
Mersenius crater
 
27 July 2006
 
This mosaic of three images, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows the crater Mersenius C on the Moon.
 
AMIE obtained this sequence on 13 January 2006, from a distance of 1149, 1172, 1195 kilometres from the surface, respectively. The ground resolution ranges from 104 to 108 metres per pixel. All images are located at a longitude of 45.7º West, at latitudes of 21.3º South, 19.7º South and 18.1º South, respectively.

Crater Mersenius C is positioned in the highland area between Mare Humorum and the Oceanus Procellarum. The crater has a diameter of 14 kilometres and is best visible for ground-based observers 4 days after first quarter Moon.
 
 
 It is named in honour of Marin Mersene, a French philosopher and physicist (1588 - 1648). The crater is surrounded by a system of so-called 'grabens', which are fractures that form when the lunar surface sinks slightly as a result of faults.

The crater is named in honour of Marin Mersenne, a French philosopher and physicist (1588-1648).
 
 
 For more information
  
Bernard H. Foing, ESA SMART-1 Project Scientist
Email: bernard.foing @ esa.int

Jean-Luc Josset
AMIE Principal Investigator
SPACE-X Space Exploration Institute
Email: jean-luc.josset @ space-x.ch
 
 
 •  SMART-1 (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/index.html)

More about...

 •  Lomonosov – a large crater filled by lava (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM1R6BUQPE_index_0.html)
 •  SMART-1 birthday postcard of Apollo 11 landing site (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM1O6BUQPE_index_0.html)
 •  Gruithuisen: non-mare volcanism in Procellarum (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM871BUQPE_index_0.html)
 •  Landscapes from the ancient and eroded lunar far side (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMDWNWALPE_index_0.html)
 •  SMART-1 view of crater Sulpicius Gallus (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMGV5XAIPE_index_0.html)
 •  The SMART-1 way - giving the Moon some great new looks (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMGA4XAIPE_index_0.html)
 •  Mare Humorum: where craters tell the story of basalt (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMVMAA6CPE_index_0.html)
 •  Gassendi crater - clue on the thermal history of Mare Humorum (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMV7DIO9PE_index_0.html)
 •  Kepler Crater as seen by SMART-1 (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMBGLVT0PE_index_0.html)
 •  Lunar West Side Story - the SMART-1 Movie (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMN1GL8IOE_index_0.html)
 •  SMART-1 close-up on Zucchius crater's central peaks (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMVQM9ATME_index_0.html)
 •  Highlands and Mare landscapes on the Moon (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMGBM9ATME_index_0.html)
 •  SMART-1’s view of Crater Hopmann: on the shoulder of a giant (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM1PPOFGLE_index_0.html)
 •  SMART-1’s view of craters Mayer and Bond (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMREBNVGJE_index_0.html)
 •  Tectonic ‘wrinkles’ in Crater De Gasparis (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEME93OVGJE_index_0.html)
 •  Dark lava floor of crater Billy seen by SMART-1 (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM7Z3MVGJE_index_0.html)
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Related links

 •  Space-X (http://www.space-x.ch/)
 •  Advanced Moon micro-Imager Experiment (AMIE) (http://www.space-x.ch/Amie.htm)