Balmer (crater)

Balmer is the lava-flooded remains of a lunar impact crater. Only the heavily worn southern and eastern sections of the crater still survive; the remainder being overlaid by a lava flow that joins to the nearby mare. Balmer lies to the east-southeast of the crater Vendelinus.

Balmer
LRO image
Coordinates20.1°N 70.6°E / 20.1; 70.6
Diameter112 km
DepthNone
Colongitude288° at sunrise
EponymJohann J. Balmer

Balmer was considered a Constellation Region of Interest.[1] Light plains deposits overly mare basalt, as evidenced by multiple dark-halo craters.[2]

  • Oblique view facing west from Apollo 17
    Oblique view facing west from Apollo 17
  • One of the more interesting features within Balmer is this 1-km wide impact crater with a prominent ray system, photographed by Apollo 14
    One of the more interesting features within Balmer is this 1-km wide impact crater with a prominent ray system, photographed by Apollo 14
  • LRO image of the 1-km crater with rays within Balmer
    LRO image of the 1-km crater with rays within Balmer

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Balmer.

Balmer Latitude Longitude Diameter
M 20.7° S 71.5° E 5 km
N 19.9° S 69.9° E 8 km
P 20.4° S 67.7° E 13 km
Q 18.7° S 70.5° E 7 km
R 18.7° S 69.1° E 4 km
S 18.4° S 67.6° E 6 km

References
  1. Two-toned Impact Crater in Balmer Basin: A Reflection of the Target?, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera article, 26 March 2010.
  2. Hawke, B. R., J. J. Gillis, T. A. Giguere, D. T. Blewett, D. J. Lawrence, P. G. Lucey, G. A. Smith, P. D. Supdis, G. J. Taylor (2005) Remote sensing and geologic studies of the Balmer-Kapteyn region of the Moon, Journal of Geophysical Research, 110. doi:10.1029/2004JE00283.
  • Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
  • Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
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  • Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
  • McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  • Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
  • Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
  • Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
  • Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
  • Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
  • Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
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