September 5, 2013

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A Russian Corner

LPOD-Sept5-13.jpg
image by Alex Sanz, Ayllón, Segovia - Spain

Do you know this corner of the Moon? It has been visited by emissaries of Earth, twice. Because these visitors were from the Soviet Union - Luna 23 and Luna 24 reached the lunar surface near the plus symbol - the IAU helped commemorate their efforts in 1979 by naming two nearby features after Soviet geologists - Mons Usov, the small mountain in Mare Crisium just disconnected from the surrounding mountainous rim, and Dorsa Tetyaev, a mare ridge just beyond the image to the north. And in 2012, following the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter discovery of a 60 m wide crater that Luna 24 landed near, that tiny pit was given the Russian first name Lev. This corner of Crisium has been Soviet friendly since the 1935 IAU approval of Prom. Agarum, named for a cape in the Sea of Azov (google it). Of course, there are others in this neighborhood, including the British Harker ridge to the east, and the Polish Fahrenheit crater just NW of the landing sites. It is a quiet region, but give it a visit and see if you can find the area where the last rocks from the Moon came from.

Chuck Wood

Technical Details
23rd aug 2013, 00:50 U.T. C11, DMK 31 + red filter f/30

Related Links
21st Century Atlas chart 2.
Alex' website

Yesterday's LPOD: Three Unique Volcanic Centers

Tomorrow's LPOD: Dreaming in Color



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