Graff (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Graff is a small lunar
crater
that lies along the southwestern limb of the Moon
. It is located to the west of the Vallis Bouvard
depression in the southern part of the ejecta blanket that surrounds the Mare Orientale
impact basin. To the south-southwest is the smaller crater Catalán
.
The outer rim of this crater is roughly circular, with a slight outward protrusion along the southern side. The rim and inner walls are not significantly eroded, and slope downward to a ring of accumulated debris surrounding the interior floor. The bottom is somewhat irregular, with a tiny crater near the mid-point and another to the northeast.
Because of its location, this crater is viewed obliquely by observers on the Earth
, and its visibility can be affected by libration
.
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 along the southwestern 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 Vallis Bouvard
Vallis Bouvard
Vallis Bouvard is a 284-km-long valley on the Moon, centered at . It begins at the southern rim of the crater Shaler, and winds its way to the south-southeast towards Baade. This is one of several such valleys that radiate away from the southeast edge of the Mare Orientale circular impact basin,...
depression in the southern part of the ejecta blanket that surrounds the Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale is one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bull's-eye. Located on the extreme western edge of the lunar nearside, this impact basin is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective.Material from this basin was not sampled by the Apollo program...
impact basin. To the south-southwest is the smaller crater Catalán
Catalán (crater)
Catalán is a small lunar impact crater that lies almost along the southwest limb of the Moon. At this position the crater is ill-suited for observation from the Earth as it is viewed almost from the side, and visibility is subject to libration effects. It lies to the west of the somewhat larger...
.
The outer rim of this crater is roughly circular, with a slight outward protrusion along the southern side. The rim and inner walls are not significantly eroded, and slope downward to a ring of accumulated debris surrounding the interior floor. The bottom is somewhat irregular, with a tiny crater near the mid-point and another to the northeast.
Because of its location, this crater is viewed obliquely by observers on 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 can be 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:...
.
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 Graff.| Graff | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 41.2° S | 86.1° W | 21 km |
| U | 42.1° S | 90.7° W | 20 km |