Fryxell (crater)
Encyclopedia
Fryxell is a small lunar
crater
that lies amidst the western inner ring of the Montes Rook
. This crater is located on the Moon
's far side, at the extreme edge of the region of the surface sometimes brought into view of the Earth
due to libration
. Even under rare conditions of favorable lighting and libration, this area would only be seen from the side amidst a rugged range of mountains. Thus this crater is best observed from orbit
.
This formation is roughly circular, but with a slightly polygon
al appearance. It is a bowl-shaped formation with a darker interior floor that is relatively featureless. The inner walls of Fryxell have a higher albedo
than the surrounding terrain, and so appear relatively bright.
Fryxell is named for Roald H. Fryxell
, an American geologist. It was previously designated Golitsyn B, a satellite of Golitsyn
, before being assigned a name by the IAU
.
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 amidst the western inner ring of the Montes Rook
Montes Rook
Montes Rook is a ring-shaped mountain range that lies along the western limb of the Moon, crossing over to the far side. It completely encircles the Mare Orientale, and forms part of a massive impact basin feature...
. This crater is located on 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...
's far side, at the extreme edge of the region of the surface sometimes brought into view of 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...
due to 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:...
. Even under rare conditions of favorable lighting and libration, this area would only be seen from the side amidst a rugged range of mountains. Thus this crater is best observed from orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
.
This formation is roughly circular, but with a slightly polygon
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
al appearance. It is a bowl-shaped formation with a darker interior floor that is relatively featureless. The inner walls of Fryxell have a higher albedo
Albedo
Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
than the surrounding terrain, and so appear relatively bright.
Fryxell is named for Roald H. Fryxell
Roald H. Fryxell
Roald H. Fryxell was an American geologist and archaeologist.-Background:Roald Hilding Fryxell was the son of Fritiof Fryxell, a geologist and professor, and Regina Holmén Fryxell, an organist and music teacher, both on the faculty of Augustana College in Illinois, from which he graduated in 1956...
, an American geologist. It was previously designated Golitsyn B, a satellite of Golitsyn
Golitsyn (crater)
Golitsyn is a lunar impact crater that lies beyond the western limb on the far side of the Moon. It is located in the southwestern portion of the Montes Rook mountain range that forms one of the rings around the Mare Imbrium impact site...
, before being assigned a name by the IAU
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...
.