November 26, 2015

Up Close With Proclus

Originally published December 7, 2004

Image Credit: NASA AS15-81-10929

Up Close With Proclus Proclus is one of the brightest - and thus presumably youngest - craters on the Moon. As the Apollo image on the right illustrates, Proclus has a very sharp rim crest and its 1060 m deep floor is filled with slump blocks (S) of material that has slid down its steep walls. This is a common style of modification for craters intermediate in diameter between simple bowls and larger, more complex terraced craters. If 28 km wide Proclus has a central peak it is hidden from view by the wall rubble. The left Apollo view shows a different Proclus than I would expect. The rim crest is not as sharp as it appears in the right image, and the rim doesn't rise as far above the surrounding terrain as I thought it would. If Proclus has formed on the nearby Mare Crisium its rim would probably be strongly differentiated from the mare surface. Proclus seems less fresh and less spectacular because of the rugged terrain it sits on. — Chuck Wood Technical Details: The right image is an Apollo shot, but I can not find its photo number. The left image is from Apollo 15. Related Links: Rukl Atlas of the Moon, Sheet 26 Yesterday's LPOD: Seeing Red, and Blue and Yellow Tomorrow's LPOD: Moon Over Jupiter Over Florida

Author & Editor: Charles A. Wood

 

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