Lassell is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the eastern part of the Mare Nubium. It was named after British astronomer William Lassell.[1] It lies to the west of the crater Alpetragius and southwest of Alphonsus.
Coordinates | 15°30′S 7°54′W / 15.5°S 7.9°W |
---|---|
Diameter | 23 km |
Depth | 0.9 km |
Colongitude | 8° at sunrise |
Eponym | William Lassell |
The interior of Lassell has been flooded and resurfaced by lava, leaving a nearly flat surface with a low remaining outer rim. The surface has a low albedo, giving the interior a dark appearance. The surviving outer wall is generally circular but with a somewhat polygonal shape.
To the east-northeast is a circular, bowl-shaped crater designated Lassell B. This formation has a higher albedo than its surroundings and so appears relatively bright, especially at high sun angles.
The tiny crater Lassell D is located to the west-northwest of Lassell, about halfway to the ruined crater Guericke. This craterlet is surrounded by a patch of high-albedo surface, and is an example of a prominent lunar bright patch. The light hue is thought to be an indication of recent formation, at least in lunar geological terms.
To the west of Lassell, at coordinates 14.65°S, 350.96°E is a small highland area called the Lassell Massif, which has a reddish color relative to the surrounding mare.[2]
The massif was created by series of eruptions of viscous silicic lavas starting 4.07+0.05
−0.08 billion years ago. Its surface is suspected to be partially buried by ejecta from Copernicus crater. The southern domes Lassell G and Lassell K have most silica-rich composition and feature a caldera-like depressions on tops.[3]
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Lassell.
Lassell | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
A | 16.8° S | 6.8° W | 3 km |
B | 16.1° S | 7.7° W | 4 km |
C | 14.7° S | 9.3° W | 9 km |
D | 14.5° S | 10.5° W | 2 km |
E | 18.2° S | 10.2° W | 5 km |
F | 17.1° S | 12.5° W | 5 km |
G | 14.8° S | 9.0° W | 7 km |
H | 14.5° S | 11.2° W | 5 km |
J | 14.8° S | 10.4° W | 4 km |
K | 15.1° S | 8.9° W | 4 km |
M | 14.2° S | 8.8° W | 3 km |
S | 18.2° S | 8.5° W | 4 km |
T | 17.1° S | 8.8° W | 2 km |