Galvani (crater)
Encyclopedia
Galvani is a lunar
crater
that lies close to the northwestern limb of the Moon
, due south of the larger walled plain Volta
. It partly overlies the southeast rim of the crater Langley
, which occupies half the gap between Volta and Galvani. To the northeast is the large walled plain Repsold
, and to the west-southwest, on the far side of the Moon, is the crater McLaughlin
.
Due to its location, Galvani is viewed from an oblique angle from the Earth
, and it appears highly foreshortened. The visibility of this crater is affected by libration
of the Moon, so that at times this crater can be hidden from sight.
The rim of Galvani is worn and rounded, with a crater lying along the inner wall to the southwest. The southwestern rim has been modified, and appears straighter than the otherwise circular shape of the perimeter. The inner wall is wider along the western side compared to the east, and thus the mid-point of the level interior floor is offset slightly to the east. A rille
from the Rimae Repsold system crosses the northeastern rim and traverses the interior, forking near the mid-point to continue towards the west-southwest and the south.
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 close to 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...
, due south of the larger walled plain Volta
Volta (crater)
Volta is a lunar crater near the northwest limb of the Moon. It is located south-southeast of the crater Xenophanes, and due north of the smaller Galvani. The crater Regnault lies across the western rim of Volta. Attached to the southwest rim of Volta and the southern rim of Regnault is Stokes...
. It partly overlies the southeast rim of the crater Langley
Langley (crater)
Langley is a lunar crater that is located close to the northwestern limb of the Moon, and from the Earth is viewed edge-on. It is located in the gap between the crater Galvani, which lies across the southeastern rim, and Volta along the northeastern rim...
, which occupies half the gap between Volta and Galvani. To the northeast is the large walled plain Repsold
Repsold (crater)
Repsold is a lunar crater that is located at the western end of the Oceanus Procellarum. It lies to the northeast of the crater Galvani and southeast of the walled plain Volta. Due to its proximity to the northwestern limb of the Moon, this crater appears highly foreshortened when viewed from the...
, and to the west-southwest, on the far side of the Moon, is the crater 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 location, Galvani is viewed from an oblique angle 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 it appears highly foreshortened. The visibility of this crater 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:...
of the Moon, so that at times this crater can be hidden from sight.
The rim of Galvani is worn and rounded, with a crater lying along the inner wall to the southwest. The southwestern rim has been modified, and appears straighter than the otherwise circular shape of the perimeter. The inner wall is wider along the western side compared to the east, and thus the mid-point of the level interior floor is offset slightly to the east. 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...
from the Rimae Repsold system crosses the northeastern rim and traverses the interior, forking near the mid-point to continue towards the west-southwest and the south.
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 Galvani.| Galvani | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 49.5° N | 89.0° W | 15 km |
| D | 47.8° N | 88.3° W | 13 km |