Gioja (crater)
Encyclopedia
Gioia is a lunar
crater
that is located in the vicinity of the north pole of the Moon
. It is named after the Italian inventor Flavio Gioia. As it lies so close to the northern limb, it is view nearly from the edge making difficult to observe from the Earth
. The crater is attached to the southern rim of the larger Byrd
, a formation with low walls. To the south-southeast is the crater Main
.
The rim of Gioia remains nearly circular, but is worn and somewhat eroded. The exterior ramparts have been modified by subsequent impacts, particularly along the western rim. The rim achieves its high point to the northwest, where it has been reinforced by the rim of the crater Byrd and other since-vanished formations. The interior floor is nearly flat, with a low cleft or ridge running from the mid-point to the north-northeast rim. Several tiny craterlets mark the inner floor, most notably a pair near the west-northwestern inner wall.
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 is located in the vicinity of the north pole 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 named after the Italian inventor Flavio Gioia. As it lies so close to the northern limb, it is view nearly from the edge making difficult to observe 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 attached to the southern rim of the larger Byrd
Byrd (lunar crater)
Byrd is an irregular lunar crater that is located near the north pole of the Moon. The north rim of Byrd is nearly connected to the crater Peary, a formation that is adjacent to the pole. The smaller crater Gioja is attached to the remains of the southwest rim....
, a formation with low walls. To the south-southeast is the crater Main
Main (lunar crater)
Main is a lunar crater that is located near the north pole of the Moon. The southern rim of this formation has merged with the larger crater Challis to the south, and the level interior floor connects the two craters through a narrower gap...
.
The rim of Gioia remains nearly circular, but is worn and somewhat eroded. The exterior ramparts have been modified by subsequent impacts, particularly along the western rim. The rim achieves its high point to the northwest, where it has been reinforced by the rim of the crater Byrd and other since-vanished formations. The interior floor is nearly flat, with a low cleft or ridge running from the mid-point to the north-northeast rim. Several tiny craterlets mark the inner floor, most notably a pair near the west-northwestern inner wall.