| Crater characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46.7° N, 39.1° E |
| Diameter | 69 km |
| Depth | 3.2 km |
| Colongitude | 322° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Hercules |
Hercules is a prominent crater located in the northwest part of the Moon, to the east of Atlas crater. It lies along the east edge of a southward extension in the Mare Frigoris. To the west across the mare is the Bürg crater. To the south is the ruined crater Williams. The interior walls of Hercules have multiple terraces, and there is a small outer rampart. The crater floor has been flooded by lava in the past, and contains several areas of low albedo. The central peak has been buried, leaving only a low hill near the mid-point. The satellite crater 'Hercules G' crater is located prominently just to the south of the center. The small crater 'Hercules E' lies along the southern rim of Hercules. In the past this crater has been reported as the site of some transient lunar phenomenon.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Hercules crater.
| Hercules | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 47.8° N | 36.6° E | 9 km |
| C | 42.7° N | 35.3° E | 9 km |
| D | 44.8° N | 39.7° E | 8 km |
| E | 45.7° N | 38.5° E | 9 km |
| F | 50.3° N | 41.7° E | 14 km |
| G | 46.4° N | 39.2° E | 14 km |
| H | 51.2° N | 40.9° E | 7 km |
| J | 44.1° N | 36.4° E | 8 km |
| K | 44.2° N | 36.9° E | 7 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.
- Hercules A — See Keldysh crater.
References
- 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 on 2007-08-05.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P., (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 0-936389-27-3.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). Lunar Nomenclature. Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved on 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: 136.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-304-35469-4.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon observer's handbook. Cambridge University Press.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 0-913135-17-8.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, 6th revision, Dover. ISBN 0-486-20917-2.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-62248-4.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 1852331933.
