Beals (crater)
Encyclopedia
Beals is a lunar
impact crater
that is located near the eastern limb of the Moon
, and lies across the southwestern rim of the crater Riemann
. From the Earth
the crater is viewed nearly from on edge, and is best seen during favorable libration
s. To the west is the large walled plain Gauss
.
This crater formation is only lightly worn, with no significant impacts within its perimeter. The inner wall is narrower along the north-northeast face where the crater intrudes into Riemann, and the rim is somewhat irregular at the southern end. The interior floor has only a few minor ridges located near the mid-point.
Beals was formerly designated Riemann A, a satellite crater of Riemann, until the International Astronomical Union
renamed it in 1982 to commemorate Carlyle S. Beals
, a Canadian astronomer.
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
that is located near the eastern limb of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, and lies across the southwestern rim of the crater Riemann
Riemann (crater)
Riemann is a lunar crater that is located near the northeastern limb of the Moon, and can just be observed edge-on when libration effects bring it into sight. It lies to the east-northeast of the large walled plain Gauss. To the southeast, beyond sight on the far side, is the crater Vestine.This is...
. From the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
the crater is viewed nearly from on edge, and is best seen during favorable libration
Libration
In astronomy, libration is an oscillating motion of orbiting bodies relative to each other, notably including the motion of the Moon relative to Earth, or of Trojan asteroids relative to planets.-Lunar libration:...
s. To the west is the large walled plain Gauss
Gauss (crater)
Gauss is a large lunar crater, named after Carl Friedrich Gauss, that is located near the northeastern limb of the Moon's near side. It belongs to a category of lunar formations called a walled plain, meaning that it has a diameter of at least 110 kilometers, with a somewhat sunken floor and little...
.
This crater formation is only lightly worn, with no significant impacts within its perimeter. The inner wall is narrower along the north-northeast face where the crater intrudes into Riemann, and the rim is somewhat irregular at the southern end. The interior floor has only a few minor ridges located near the mid-point.
Beals was formerly designated Riemann A, a satellite crater of Riemann, until the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
renamed it in 1982 to commemorate Carlyle S. Beals
Carlyle Smith Beals
Carlyle Smith Beals, was a Canadian astronomer.Born in Canso, Nova Scotia, Beals worked at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria, BC, until 1946. There, he studied emission lines in the spectra of certain hot stars, and studied gas clouds in the interstellar medium...
, a Canadian astronomer.