Luther (crater)
Luther is a small lunar impact crater on the northwest part of Mare Serenitatis, at the inlet to Lacus Somniorum. To the east-southeast is the large crater Posidonius. Luther has a circular rim and is cup-shaped, with no appreciable wear from impact erosion. It lies across a wrinkle ridge on the lunar mare.
Coordinates | 33.2°N 24.1°E |
---|---|
Diameter | 10 km |
Depth | 1.9 km |
Colongitude | 336° at sunrise |
Eponym | Robert Luther |
The crater is named after German astronomer Robert Luther.[1]
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 Luther.
Luther | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
H | 36.0° N | 22.8° E | 7 km |
K | 37.5° N | 23.3° E | 4 km |
X | 36.1° N | 24.3° E | 4 km |
Y | 38.1° N | 24.4° E | 4 km |
In Fiction
Luther Crater features prominently in Marvel Comics's canon as the location of the Blue Area of the Moon, a terraformed location featuring a breathable atmosphere and life. It is where The Watcher resides and used as a setting for storylines and video games set in the Marvel universe. https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Blue_Area_of_the_Moon
References
- "Luther (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
- 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.