[meteorite-list] SMART-1's View of Mayer and Bond Craters Reshaped by Lava and Debris

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Mar 9 18:06:14 2006
Message-ID: <200603092304.k29N4Sj25426_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMREBNVGJE_index_0.html

SMART-1's view of Mayer and Bond craters reshaped by lava and debris
European Space Agency
9 March 2006

This composite image, obtained by the Advanced Moon Imaging Experiment
(AMIE) on board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows a nice scene near the
Moon terminator (the line separating lunar day and night).
 
Low solar elevation on the landscape produces long shadows of several
craters reshaped by lava, debris and erosion, and other geological
features.

The AMIE camera obtained the snapshot images on 5 and 6 February 2006,
from altitudes ranging between 2685 km (bottom of the composite) and
2709 km (top). Each individual snapshot, taken with the AMIE clear
filter, is a square of about 135 kilometres per side. The whole
composite covers approximately 270 square kilometres.

On the lower right it is possible to see C. Mayer, a complex impact
crater 38 kilometres in diameter, located not far away from the northern
edge of the Mare Frigoris (63.2? N, 17.3? E).

This crater was formed in relatively recent times. Ejected material is
visible around the crater as a smooth hilly area. Terraces formed during
the crater collapse can be seen in the inner walls of its sharp-edged
rim - an almost polygon-shaped feature - and the crater's interior is
rough and irregular. The illuminated central peak appears very clearly.
The lava formation attached to the south-eastern rim of the crater is of
particular interest.

[Areas of AMIE's observations]

On the left of the image is W. Bond, today an irregular walled plain of
about 156 kilometres in diameter (5.3? N, 4.5? E). The outer rim of the
original W. Bond crater has been eroded and reshaped, and now it
basically consists of an outline of hills and mounts. The interior floor
is relatively flat in comparison with the rim region, although there are
sections of rough terrain near the northern rim.

In the centre of the walled plain is a narrow ditch that runs toward
east. To the southeast of this formation is 'W. Bond B', a circular,
simple bowl-shaped crater. It is interesting to see the contrast between
the rough texture of W. Bond (left of the image) and the smooth surface
of the plains at the centre of the image.

 
 
The floor of the large crater W. Bond is littered with scattered blocks,
likely originating from ejecta from the impact that created the Imbrium
basin. The original W.Bond crater must have been filled to a depth of
about 2 km, and then cut by the ditch. This provides a rare example of a
linear ditch that cuts the ejecta generated by an impact basin.
 
 
For more information:
 
Jean-Luc Josset
SPACE-X Space Exploration Institute
E-mail: jean-luc.josset_at_space-x.ch

Bernard H. Foing
ESA SMART-1 Project Scientist
E-mail: bernard.foing_at_esa.int
Received on Thu 09 Mar 2006 06:04:27 PM PST