Moon Crater Messier -

Moon Crater Messier

Charles Messier’s life work has been honored by the international astronomy

community (represented by the IAU in this case) by naming a quite conspicuous

Moon crater after the astronomer. This unique crater, situated in Mare

Fecunditatis at 47.6 deg eastern selenographic [as it is called on the Moon,

or Lunar] longitude and 1.9 deg southern selenographic latitude has a form

deviating remarkably from the usual circular one, is the source of two bright

and conspicuous rays, and has a close neighbor called Messier A.

Lunar Orbiter V (5) image of Moon craters Messier and Messier A.

The spacecraft was looking westward across Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of

Fertility) and captured the two craters together with the peculiar “jet”

of ejecta going out from them.

This image is also on display at the

Lunar Module Ascent stage of Apollo 16 over Moon crater Messier,

photographed from the Command module as it approaches the Apollo CSM when

returning from Lunar surface.

NASA Photo ID: AS16-122-19533, Film Type: 70mm cn, Date Taken: April 23, 1972.

Nasa description:

The ascent stage of the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) approaches the

Command/Service modules (CSM) during rendezvous, with a contrasting

background of darkness and the moon’s Sea of Fertility (Mare Fecundatatis).

Taken from the CSM, the photo show the aft side of the LM during a yaw

maneuver. Note the buckled thermal panels. Messier and Messier A (right

center) are among the most readily identifiable features on the surface

below.

Please email us if you can provide

further images of Messier (and/or Messier A) moon craters, both Earth and

space made

Last Modification: 22 Feb 1998, 12:20 MET