Bessel (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 21.8° N, 17.9° E |
| Diameter | 16 km |
| Depth | 1.7 km |
| Colongitude | 342° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Friedrich W. Bessel |
Bessel is a small lunar crater that is located in the southern half of the Mare Serenitatis. Despite its size, this is the largest crater to lie entirely within the mare. It lies to the north-northeast of Menelaus crater.
This crater is circular and bowl-shaped with a rim that has a higher albedo than the floor or the surrounding mare. The outer rim is not significantly worn, and there are no features of note on the interior, apart from some slumping of material from the inner walls to the floor. Bessel is not of sufficient size to have developed the terrace structures of larger craters.
A large ray, most likely from Tycho crater, crosses the mare from north to south, passing by Bessel crater along the western side.
[edit] Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Bessel crater.
| Bessel | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 27.3° N | 19.9° E | 5 km |
| F | 21.2° N | 13.8° E | 1 km |
| G | 21.1° N | 14.7° E | 1 km |
| H | 25.7° N | 20.0° E | 4 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.
- Bessel A — See Sarabhai crater.
- Bessel E — See Bobillier crater.
[edit] References
- See the reference table for the general listing of literature and web sites that were used in the compilation of this page.
