Tsiolkovskiy (crater)

lunar crater data


caption=Tsiolkovskiy on the Moon's far side from the Apollo 15 showing the central peak. "NASA photo."
latitude=20.4
N_or_S=S
longitude=129.1
E_or_W=E
diameter=180 km
depth="Unknown"
colong=235
eponym=Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

Tsiolkovskiy is a large lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies in the southern hemisphere, to the west of the crater Gagarin, and northwest of Milne. Just to the south is Waterman, and Neujmin lies to the south-southwest. This feature was first observed by photographs sent back by Luna 3.

This is one of the most prominent features to be found on that hemisphere. It possesses high, d inner walls and a well-formed central peak. The floor is unusual for a crater on the far side, as it is covered by the dark-hued mare that is characteristic of the "maria" found on the near side. The distribution of the "maria" material is not symmetrical across the floor, but is instead more heavily concentrated to the east and south. There is also a protruding bay of darker material that reaches the wall to the west-northwest. The remainder of the floor has the same albedo as the terrain surrounding the crater.

The crater protrudes into the neighbouring crater Fermi, a comparably sized formation that does not have a lava-flooded floor.

atellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Tsiolkovskiy.

Trivia

*In the Fictional Mobile Suit Gundam series, Tsiolkovskiy is the site of Zeon Lunar Base Granada.

References

External links

The following L&PI topographic maps show portions of the Tsiolkovskiy crater::