Heinrich (crater)
Encyclopedia
Heinrich is a small lunar
impact crater
on the Mare Imbrium
, a lunar mare
in the northwest quadrant
of the Moon
's near side. It is a circular, bowl-shaped formation very similar to many other craters of comparable size on the Moon.
Heinrich lies to the southwest of the prominent crater Timocharis
, and was previously designated as Timocharis A before being given its current name by the IAU
. It is otherwise a relatively isolated formation with only a few tiny satellite craters of Timocharis located nearby.
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...
impact 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...
on the Mare Imbrium
Mare Imbrium
Mare Imbrium, Latin for "Sea of Showers" or "Sea of Rains", is a vast lunar mare filling a basin on Earth's Moon and one of the larger craters in the Solar System. Mare Imbrium was created when lava flooded the giant crater formed when a very large object hit the Moon long ago...
, a lunar mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
in the northwest quadrant
Circular sector
A circular sector or circle sector, is the portion of a disk enclosed by two radii and an arc, where the smaller area is known as the minor sector and the larger being the major sector. In the diagram, θ is the central angle in radians, r the radius of the circle, and L is the arc length of the...
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...
's near side. It is a circular, bowl-shaped formation very similar to many other craters of comparable size on the Moon.
Heinrich lies to the southwest of the prominent crater Timocharis
Timocharis (crater)
Timocharis is a prominent lunar impact crater located on the Mare Imbrium. The closest crater of comparable dimensions is Lambert to the west. The smaller craters Feuillée and Beer lie to the east of Timocharis....
, and was previously designated as Timocharis A before being given its current 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...
. It is otherwise a relatively isolated formation with only a few tiny satellite craters of Timocharis located nearby.