Menelaus (crater)

Short description: Crater on the Moon

Menelaus

Lunar Orbiter 4 image

Diameter| 27 km
Depth| 3.0 km
Colongitude| 344° at sunrise
Apollo 15 image Oblique close up of the northwest crater wall, from Apollo 15

Menelaus (/ˌmɛnɪˈleɪəs/) is a young lunar impact crater located on the southern shore of Mare Serenitatis near the eastern end of the Montes Hæmus mountain range. Its diameter is 27 km.[1] To the southwest is the small crater Auwers, and to the west-southwest is the even smaller Daubrée. To the northeast is a faint rille system named the Rimae Menelaus.

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Names
* 3 Satellite craters
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Description

The wall of Menelaus is slightly irregular in outline, with a high, sharp rim and terraced inner walls. The interior has a high albedo that is prominent under high sun angles. There are several ridges on the floor. It also has a moderate ray system, with the most prominent ray aligned to the north-northeast across the Mare Serenitatis. The location of this ray and slightly off-center central peak suggest an impact at a relatively low angle.

## Names

Menelaus is named after the ancient Greek astronomer Menelaus of Alexandria.[1] Like many of the craters on the Moon's near side, it was given its name by Giovanni Riccioli, whose 1651 nomenclature system has become standardized.[2] Earlier lunar cartographers had given the feature different names. Michael van Langren's 1645 map calls it "Mariae Imp. Rom." after Maria Anna, the Holy Roman Empress.[3] And Johannes Hevelius called it "Byzantium (urbs)" after the city of Byzantium.[4]

## Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Menelaus.

Menelaus  | Latitude  | Longitude  | Diameter

|
|
|

A  | 17.1° N  | 13.4° E  | 7 km
C  | 14.8° N  | 14.5° E  | 4 km
D  | 13.2° N  | 16.3° E  | 4 km
E  | 13.6° N  | 15.9° E  | 3 km

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

* Menelaus S - See Daubrée.

Menelaus A crater (lower right), from Apollo 15

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Menelaus (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
2. ↑ Ewen A. Whitaker, Mapping and Naming the Moon (Cambridge University Press, 1999), p.213.
3. ↑ Ewen A. Whitaker, Mapping and Naming the Moon (Cambridge University Press, 1999), p. 198.
4. ↑ Ewen A. Whitaker, Mapping and Naming the Moon (Cambridge University Press, 1999), p. 202.

* Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
* Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
* Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780936389271.
* McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. http://host.planet4589.org/astro/lunar/.
* 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 (2): 136–186. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. Bibcode: 1971SSRv...12..136M.
* Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6. https://archive.org/details/patrickmooreonmo00patr.
* Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
* Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
* Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3. https://archive.org/details/celestialobjects00webb.
* Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
* Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.

## External links

* LTO-42D3 Menelaus -- L&PI topographic map
* Small crater at the Southern Rim of Menelaus \- Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter page - featuring the photo, an interactive photo and information
* Wood, Chuck (September 7, 2004). "Helen's Husband". Lunar Photo of the Day. http://www.lpod.org/archive/LPOD-2004-09-07.htm.
* Wood, Chuck (February 19, 2008). "Yes". Lunar Photo of the Day. http://lpod.wikispaces.com/February+19,+2008.
* Wood, Chuck (March 12, 2008). "Craters, Rings, Spots, and Rays During Full Moon". Lunar Photo of the Day. https://the-moon.us/wiki/LPOD_Mar_12,_2008. \- includes the crater Menelaus

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