Mairan (crater)

Mairan
	Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates	41.6°N 43.4°W
Diameter	40 km
Depth	3.4 km
Colongitude	44° at sunrise
Eponym	Jean J. d'Ortous; de Mairan

Mairan is a lunar impact crater that is located on a highland peninsula between Oceanus Procellarum to the west and Mare Imbrium to the east. To the north-northeast is the comparably sized crater Sharp. Northwest of Mairan is the heavily eroded Louville.

Oblique view from Apollo 15

The outer rim of Mairan has not been significantly eroded or impacted, and retains a sharp edge. The surface around Mairan is rough and irregular, with a multitude of many tiny craters, particularly to the south and west. The inner walls display some terracing, and flow down to a relatively flat interior floor.

In the mare, due west of Mairan, is a small lunar dome designated Mairan T with tiny crater at the summit (in official IAU nomenclature this name refers only to the crater).[1] Its width is about 7 km, and height is about 800 m.[2] It is one of unusually steep and bright domes which are thought to be formed by very viscous, high-Si lava.[3]

Rima Mairan

There is a sinuous rille along the southwest edge of the highland peninsula containing Mairan. It is designated Rima Mairan, and follows a north–south course for a length of about 100 kilometers.

Oblique view of part of Rima Mairan, from Apollo 15

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 Mairan.

Mairan	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	38.6° N	38.8° W	16 km
C	38.6° N	46.0° W	7 km
D	40.9° N	45.4° W	10 km
E	37.8° N	37.2° W	6 km
F	40.3° N	45.1° W	9 km
G	40.9° N	50.8° W	6 km
H	39.3° N	40.0° W	5 km
K	40.8° N	41.0° W	6 km
L	39.0° N	43.2° W	6 km
N	39.2° N	45.5° W	6 km
T	41.7° N	48.3° W	3 km
Y	42.7° N	44.0° W	7 km

Lunar dome Mairan T
Mairan T from Apollo 15

References

"Mairan". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
Tran, T.; Robinson, M. S.; Lawrence, S. J.; Braden, S. E.; Plescia, J.; Hawke, B. R.; et al. (March 2011). "Morphometry of Lunar Volcanic Domes from LROC" (PDF). 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held March 7–11, 2011 at The Woodlands, Texas. LPI Contribution (1608 p.2228): 2228. Bibcode:2011LPI....42.2228T.
Lena R.; Wöhler C.; Phillips J.; Chiocchetta M. T. (2013). Lunar Domes: Properties and Formation Processes. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. vii, 5–13, 35, 42. doi:10.1007/978-88-470-2637-7. ISBN 9788847026377.

Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature (PDF). NASA RP-1097. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2015-12-31.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Whitaker, Ewen A. (2003). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-54414-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-852-33193-1.

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[1] "Mairan". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.

[Tran_2011-2] Tran, T.; Robinson, M. S.; Lawrence, S. J.; Braden, S. E.; Plescia, J.; Hawke, B. R.; et al. (March 2011). "Morphometry of Lunar Volcanic Domes from LROC" (PDF). 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held March 7–11, 2011 at The Woodlands, Texas. LPI Contribution (1608 p.2228): 2228. Bibcode:2011LPI....42.2228T.

[Lena_2013-3] Lena R.; Wöhler C.; Phillips J.; Chiocchetta M. T. (2013). Lunar Domes: Properties and Formation Processes. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. vii, 5–13, 35, 42. doi:10.1007/978-88-470-2637-7. ISBN 9788847026377.