January 13, 2019

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Rilleroad Crossing

Originally published November 4, 2009 LPOD-Nov4-09.jpg
image by Wes Higgins

Using a less expensive imaging system, Wes has matched and in some ways exceeded the Lunar Orbiter image of this rille intersection near the western limb. Crüger is a black skating rink of a crater at top, and south, southwest of it is the heavily modified - ruined is a better description - crater called Darwin. Darwin was swept by ejecta from the formation of the Orientale Basin, including the parallel ridges that may be deceleration dunes as flowing ejecta crumpled to a standstill. Afterwards, the NW-SE trending Darwin Rille family cut the solidified ejecta in Darwin and the smoother ejecta in the more ruined depression to the east. Following that by some unknown interval the Sirsalis Rille came straight down from the edge of Oceanus Procellarum and then bent as is cut the depression east of Darwin and the Darwin Rilles. The Sirsalis Rille is approximately radial to Procellarum and the putative Gargantuan Basin that the ocean fills. The Darwin Rilles are roughly tangential to Orientale, making it less clear if they owe their origin to stresses associated with the basin's formation.
Chuck Wood

Technical Details
11-01-09 at 04:48 UT, 18 Inch Reflector , Infinity 2-1M Camera, stack of 251 frames from 1150, Avistack.

Related Links
Rükl plate 50


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Tomorrow's LPOD: Oblique Domeland


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