May 18, 2009

Degrees of Flooding

image by Vicente Molina, Santa Pola, Spain

Regional views are what we see through the eyepiece (unless employing very high power). Vicente has captured such a classic view of a broad region centered on Bullialdus in western Mare Nubium. This is an area of older craters that have been overwhelmed by mare lavas to one degree or another. The right third of the image is full of ghost and nearly ghost craters, consistent with this being nearer the center of the ancient Nubium Basin and presumably the deepest lavas. In the middle and on the left the flooded craters are on higher ground and the lavas did not cover their rims (Kies and Lubiniezky, for example). An archipelago of hills extends from Hippalus (L54) pass Lubiniezky - perhaps the remains of the Nubium rim. And near the center is Bullialdus, whose ejecta peppers the mare surface, except on the upper left where younger lava has covered it.

Chuck Wood

Technical Details
05-05-09 at 01:32. See image margin for more. Find a typo and win a free subscription to LPOD!
L54 and L60 are Lunar 100 Objects.

Related Links
Rükl plate 53

Yesterday's LPOD: A Bend Without (Known) Reason

Tomorrow's LPOD: Southern Sentinels

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