Temple of the Moon (Utah)

Short description: Summit in the American state of Utah

Temple of the Moon

Temple of the Moon, east aspect

Highest point
Elevation| 5,665 ft (1,727 m) [1]
Prominence| 285 ft (87 m) [1]
Parent peak| Temple of the Sun (5,822 ft)[1]
Isolation| 0.37 mi (0.60 km) [1]
Coordinates|  [ ⚑ ] : 38°26′46″N 111°11′30″W﻿ / ﻿38.4460588°N 111.1915767°W﻿ / 38.4460588; -111.1915767 [2]
Geography

Temple of the Moon

Location in Utah

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Temple of the Moon

Temple of the Moon (the United States)

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Location| Capitol Reef National Park
Wayne County, Utah, United States
Parent range| Colorado Plateau
Topo map| USGS Fruita NW
Geology
Age of rock| Jurassic
Type of rock| Entrada Sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route| closed to climbing[3]

Temple of the Moon is a 5,665-foot (1,727-meter) elevation summit located in Capitol Reef National Park, in Wayne County of Utah, United States.[2] This remote, iconic monolith is situated 12 mi (19 km) north-northeast of the park's visitor center, and 0.37 mi (0.60 km) south of Temple of the Sun, in the Middle Desert of the park's North (Cathedral Valley) District. Cathedral Valley was so named in 1945 by Charles Kelly, first superintendent of Capitol Reef National Monument, because the valley's sandstone monoliths reminded early explorers of ornate, Gothic cathedrals, with fluted walls, alcoves, and pinnacles.[4] The free-standing Temple of the Moon towers nearly 300 feet (91 meters) above its surrounding terrain, which is within the Fremont River drainage basin. John C. Frémont's 1853 expedition passed through Cathedral Valley.[5]

## Contents

* 1 Geology
* 2 Gallery
* 3 Climate
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Geology

Temple of the Moon is composed of unfractured, buff-pink Entrada Sandstone.[4] The sandstone, which was originally deposited as sandy mud on a tidal flat, is believed to have formed about 160 million years ago during the Jurassic period as a giant sand sea, the largest in Earth's history.[6] Stratum in Cathedral Valley have a gentle inclination of three to five degrees to the east, and appear nearly horizontal. Long after these sedimentary rocks were deposited, the Colorado Plateau was uplifted relatively evenly, keeping the layers roughly horizontal, but Capitol Reef is an exception because of the Waterpocket Fold, a classic monocline, which formed between 50 and 70 million years ago during the Laramide Orogeny.[7]

## Gallery

* Sunrise on Temple of the Moon

* North aspect

* Southeast aspect

*   *   * Temple of the Moon (left) illuminated by moonlight.
Looking north-northwest, with Temple of the Sun to the right.

## Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Temple of the Moon. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter. Script error: No such module "weather box".

## See also

* Geology of the Capitol Reef area

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Temple of the Moon - 5,665' UT". https://listsofjohn.com/peak/23345.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Temple of the Moon
3. ↑ Capitol Reef Rock Climbing and Bouldering, nps.gov
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 North (Cathedral Valley) District, National Park Service
5. ↑ Peter Massey, Jeanne Wilson, Utah Trails Central Region, 2006, Adler Publishing Company, page 106.
6. ↑ Capitol Reef National Park, National Park Service
7. ↑ Capitol Reef Geology, NPS.gov
8. ↑ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/.

## External links

* Capitol Reef National Park National Park Service
* Weather Forecast: Cathedral Valley

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