Poisson is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It was named after French mathematician Siméon Denis Poisson.[1] It lies to the east of the crater Aliacensis and northwest of Gemma Frisius. To the northwest of Poisson is Apianus.
 Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 30°24′S 10°36′E / 30.4°S 10.6°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 42 km |
| Depth | 2.0 km |
| Colongitude | 350° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Siméon Denis Poisson |
This heavily eroded crater shares a common floor with the satellite crater Poisson T to the west-southwest, and the two craters have more or less merged into a single formation with a narrower neck in between. The rim of Poisson is heavily eroded, and is overlain by several craters. Poisson U is intruding into the southern rim at the junction of Poisson and Poisson T. A low-walled formation is joined to the northern rim at the opposite side of the neck from Poisson U.
The interior floor of Poisson and Poisson T has been resurfaced by basaltic lava, leaving a level surface within the inner walls. A pair of old, worn craters lies along the inner wall in the southeast part of the crater.
Satellite craters
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By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Poisson.
| Poisson | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 29.6° S | 9.1° E | 17 km |
| B | 30.8° S | 10.9° E | 11 km |
| C | 33.1° S | 8.6° E | 26 km |
| D | 31.4° S | 7.7° E | 12 km |
| E | 34.2° S | 8.6° E | 14 km |
| F | 33.7° S | 8.0° E | 14 km |
| G | 31.7° S | 7.4° E | 16 km |
| H | 33.0° S | 7.4° E | 19 km |
| J | 35.0° S | 8.3° E | 27 km |
| K | 32.7° S | 9.6° E | 13 km |
| L | 32.7° S | 8.2° E | 16 km |
| M | 33.9° S | 7.6° E | 7 km |
| N | 30.7° S | 8.4° E | 4 km |
| O | 35.0° S | 9.1° E | 4 km |
| P | 31.9° S | 8.9° E | 7 km |
| Q | 32.6° S | 10.2° E | 28 km |
| R | 30.0° S | 8.4° E | 5 km |
| S | 29.9° S | 11.4° E | 4 km |
| T | 31.1° S | 9.2° E | 25 km |
| U | 31.6° S | 10.3° E | 25 km |
| V | 32.0° S | 10.6° E | 16 km |
| W | 29.6° S | 11.9° E | 3 km |
| X | 29.0° S | 12.3° E | 5 km |
| Z | 29.6° S | 10.5° E | 5 km |
References
edit- ^ "Poisson (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.
