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 Linda Hall Library's Lunar Map Online Exhibition.

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

Hartmut Frommert (spider@seds.org)
Christine Kronberg (smil@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)

Last Modification: 22 Feb 1998, 12:20 MET