The week of December 27 – January 2 takes us from Day 23 to New Moon. This week we will highlight the Hippalus Rilles located in the SW quadrant of the Field Map at M6 and viewable on Tuesday morning.
Rimae Hippalus: [SW/M6] On the east shore of Mare Humorum, you will find the remnant of the crater Hippalus, whose southwest rim, because of subsidence, has disappeared into the mare. The area around Hippalus contains the finest examples of arcuate rilles to be found on the Moon. Each one is about 2 miles wide. Notice how some of the rilles plough through mountain ridges and craters, and some are interrupted completely by small craters but continue on the other side. One prominent rille cuts straight through the middle of Hippalus. This gives you a clear indication of the sequence of activity. What features were in place before Humorum filled with lava and subsided? What features appeared after subsidence took place?
======================
It is highly recommended that you get a copy of Sky and Telescope’s Field Map of the Moon, the very finest Moon map available for use at the telescope. It is available for $10.95 at www.skyandtelescope.com and on Amazon. All features mentioned in this blog will be keyed to the grid on the Field Map and will look like this: Plato: [NW/D9]
Credits:
Courtesy of Gray Photography of Corpus Christi, Texas
Lunar photos: NASA / USGS / BMDO / LROC / ASU / DLR / LOLA / Moon Globe. Used by permission
- Trio of Moon Craters with Distinct Personalities - April 22, 2024
- Hippalus Rilles on the Moon - April 15, 2024
- Moon Crater Janssen: How New Moon Craters are Superimposed on Top of Older Craters - April 8, 2024