Bunsen (crater)
Encyclopedia
Bunsen is a lunar
crater
that lies near the northwestern limb of the Moon
. It is located to the west of the Oceanus Procellarum
and the crater von Braun
. To the southeast is the crater Lavoisier
, and to the northeast lies Gerard
. Northwest of Bunsen, on the far side of the Moon, is McLaughlin
. Due to its position this crater appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth
, and its visibility is affected by libration
.
This crater has become considerably worn and eroded by subsequent impacts, leaving a formation that has been described as disintegrated. The most intact portion of the rim is along the northeastern side. There is a smaller, crater-like formation intruding into the southeastern rim. Within the crater, the floor is pitted by tiny impacts, and has a rille
system of criss-crossing clefts near the northern and southern rims. There is a low ridge near the southwest corner of the interior.
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...
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 lies near the northwestern 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...
. It is located to the west of the Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Earth's Moon. Its name derives from the old superstition that its appearance during the second quarter heralded bad weather...
and the crater von Braun
Von Braun (crater)
von Braun, named after the rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun, is a lunar crater located near the northwestern limb of the Moon. It lies along the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum, to the northeast of the crater Lavoisier. The northeastern rim of this crater is on the edge of the Sinus Roris,...
. To the southeast is the crater Lavoisier
Lavoisier (crater)
Lavoisier is a lunar crater that is located near the northwestern limb of the Moon, at the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum. It is located to the southwest of the crater von Braun and southeast of Bunsen. Due south of Lavoisier is the disintegrated crater Ulugh Beigh.This is a worn crater...
, and to the northeast lies Gerard
Gerard (crater)
Gerard is a lunar crater that lies along the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum near the northwest limb of the Moon's near side. It is located to the north-northwest of the crater von Braun, and northeast of Bunsen...
. Northwest of Bunsen, on the far side of the Moon, is McLaughlin
McLaughlin (lunar crater)
McLaughlin is a lunar crater that is located just behind the northwestern rim on the far side of the Moon. This portion of the surface is sometimes brought into view of the Earth due to libration, and the area can then be viewed from a low angle under favorable lighting conditions. McLaughlin lies...
. Due to its position this crater appears foreshortened when viewed 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...
, and its visibility is affected by 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:...
.
This crater has become considerably worn and eroded by subsequent impacts, leaving a formation that has been described as disintegrated. The most intact portion of the rim is along the northeastern side. There is a smaller, crater-like formation intruding into the southeastern rim. Within the crater, the floor is pitted by tiny impacts, and has a rille
Rille
Rille is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the lunar surface that resemble channels. Typically a rille can be up to several kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers in length...
system of criss-crossing clefts near the northern and southern rims. There is a low ridge near the southwest corner of the interior.
Satellite 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 Bunsen.| Bunsen | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 43.2° N | 88.9° W | 39 km |
| B | 44.2° N | 88.2° W | 20 km |
| C | 44.2° N | 90.0° W | 18 km |
| D | 40.9° N | 86.9° W | 14 km |