Table of Contents
Where is sinus Iridum on the Moon?
northwest Mare Imbrium
Introduction. Sinus Iridum is a flat mare region located to the northwest Mare Imbrium on the nearside of the Moon.
How old is the sinus Iridum?
3.84 to 3.7 billion years
Age estimate of 3.84 to 3.7 billion years based on crater counts (Wagner et al, 2002, Stratigraphic sequence and ages of volcanic units in the Gruithuisen region of the Moon.
What is a lunar sinus?
Sinus Medii /ˈsaɪnəs ˈmiːdiaɪ/ (Latin sinus mediī “Middle Bay”) is a small lunar mare. It takes its name from its location at the intersection of the Moon’s equator and prime meridian; as seen from the Earth, this feature is located in the central part of the Moon’s near side, and it is the point closest to the Earth.
How old is Mare Imbrium?
about 3.85 billion years ago
The Imbrium Basin is also the second youngest basin on the Moon. Based on samples returned by Apollo 15, it formed about 3.85 billion years ago. This image provides an overview of the Mare Imbrium region, which occupies the upper left portion of the image.
What is the moon golden handle?
The Golden Handle of the moon is basically an effect caused by light on the lunar surface, along the terminator line- the line between the light and dark. Visible a few days before the full moon, the Golden Handle is seen when the high peaks of the lunar Jura mountains are lit by sunlight.
How old is the Archimedes crater?
The crater – ‘walled plain’ would be a better description – belongs to what is known as the Imbrian period, which extended from 3.1 to 3.85 billion years ago, and it is of course an impact structure.
What is the largest mare on the moon?
Oceanus Procellarum: The region towards the western edge of the Moon is dominated by the largest of the lunar seas; Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms). This is a massive region measuring approximately 1000 miles by 480 miles.
Where is the Plato crater?
the Moon
Plato is a lava-filled lunar impact crater on the Moon. Its diameter is 101 km. It was named after ancient Greek philosopher Plato. It is located on the northeastern shore of the Mare Imbrium, at the western extremity of the Montes Alpes mountain range.
How did mare Humorum form?
Origin. Mare Imbrium may have been formed when a proto-planet from the asteroid belt collided with the moon 3.8 billion years ago.
Why is the moon crooked tonight?
So what is happening to make the Moon look different? It is all a result of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth, and the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. And exactly when you see the Moon in the shape of a ‘U’ (lit on the bottom) rather than a backward ‘C’ (lit on the side) depends on what latitude you are at.
How old is Copernicus crater?
800 million years old
Later, material believed to be Copernicus ejecta was sampled by Apollo 12 astronauts, and these samples were radiometrically dated to be close to 800 million years old.
Is there a lake on the Moon?
The moon lacks oceans and lakes that are a hallmark of Earth, but scientists said on Monday lunar water is more widespread than previously known. Water molecules are trapped within mineral grains on the surface and more water may be hidden in ice patches residing in permanent shadows, they said.
Is there lava on the Moon?
Scientists find 70 lava flows thought to have occurred within the past 100 million years. The moon, thought to be cold and dead, is still alive and kicking—barely. Scientists have found evidence for dozens of burps of volcanic activity, all within the past 100 million years—a mere blip on the geologic timescale.
How big is Plato on the Moon?
Plato is a large (109 km (67.7 mi) diameter) mare filled crater seen prominently in the northern near side of the Moon. This region of interest is located on the northeast portion of Plato’s ejecta blanket (Figure 1).
How old is Mare Humorum?
Mare Humorum was not sampled by the Apollo program, so its precise age could not been determined yet. However, geologic mapping indicates that its age lies in between that of the Imbrium and the Nectaris basins, suggesting an age of about 3.9 ± 0.5 thousand million years.
What created maria on the Moon?
Planetary Satellites, Natural The result was the melting and eruption of basaltic lava onto the lunar surface between 3.8 to about 2.8 billion years ago to form the lunar maria. This lava was highly fluid under the weaker gravitational field of the Moon and spread over vast distances.
What is the meaning of Sinus Iridum?
Sinus Iridum / ˈsaɪnəs ˈɪrɪdəm / (Latin sinus īridum “Bay of Rainbows”) is a plain of basaltic lava that forms a northwestern extension to the Mare Imbrium on Earth’s moon. It is surrounded from the northeast to the southwest by the Montes Jura range.
How old is the Sinus Iridum on the Moon?
Sinus Iridum Additional Information IAU page: Sinus Iridum Depth data from Kurt Fisher database Cherrington, 1969: -0.4 km Age estimate of 3.84 to 3.7 billion years based on crater counts (Wagner et al, 2002, Stratigraphic sequence and ages of volcanic units in the Gruithuisen region of the Moon.
What can we learn from the crater Sinus Iridum?
Sinus Iridum is a mare-filled impact crater that superposes the Imbrium basin. It is far from any Apollo landing sites, with the closest (Apollo 15) being more than 1000 km distant. Scientists would love to have a look at the chemistry of these basalts – how much do they differ from the Apollo 15 basalts which are from the other side of Imbrium?
What is the significance of the Sinus Iridum and Montes jurawas?
The Jewelled Handleat Sinus Iridumand Montes Jurawas very well depicted in the first appearance of the Waxing Gibbous Moon in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: a Space Odyssey, when the globe shaped lunar lander Ariesdeparted en-route to the moon, with professor Heywood Floyd in it) (great music of Strauss!).