Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Advice on using this book
- Contents
- The Moon – an introduction
- Atlas of lunar formations
- 1 Mare Smythii
- 2a Mare Crisium
- 2b Mare Crisium
- 3 Cleomedes
- 4 Endymion
- 5 Atlas/Hercules
- 6 Montes Taurus
- 7 Palus Somni
- 8a Mare Fecunditatis
- 8b Mare Fecunditatis
- 9 Langrenus/Petavius
- 10 Mare Australe
- 11 Vlacq
- 12 Vallis Rheita
- 13a Mare Nectaris
- 13b Mare Nectaris
- 14 Rupes Altai
- 15 Abulfeda
- 16 Theophilus
- 17 Sinus Asperitatis
- 18 Statio Tranquillitatis
- 19a Mare Tranquillitatis
- 19b Mare Tranquillitatis
- 20a Mare Serenitatis
- 20b Mare Serenitatis
- 21 Posidonius
- 22 Lacus Mortis
- 23 Aristoteles/Eudoxus
- 24 Montes Caucasus
- 25 Autolycus/Aristillus
- 26 Cassini
- 27 Montes Alpes
- 28 Plato
- 29 Montes Teneriffe
- 30 Archimedes
- 31a Montes Apenninus
- 31b Montes Apenninus
- 32 Mare Vaporum
- 33 Rima Ariadaeus
- 34 Rima Hyginus
- 35 Sinus Medii
- 36 Hipparchus
- 37a Ptolemaeus
- 37b Ptolemaeus
- 38 Rupes Recta
- 39 Regiomontanus
- 40 Maurolycus
- 41 South Pole
- 42 Clavius
- 43 Tycho
- 44 Schiller
- 45 Palus Epidemiarum
- 46 Pitatus
- 47 Mare Nubium
- 48 Fra Mauro
- 49 Mare Cognitum
- 50 Mare Insularum
- 51a Copernicus
- 51b Copernicus
- 52 Eratosthenes
- 53a Mare Imbrium
- 53b Mare Imbrium
- 54 Sinus Iridum
- 55 Gruithuisen
- 56 Mare Frigoris
- 57 North Pole
- 58 Aristarchus
- 59 Kepler
- 60 Seleucus
- 61 Reiner
- 62 Letronne/Hansteen
- 63 Gassendi
- 64 Mare Humorum
- 65 Schickard
- 66 Sirsalis
- 67 Grimaldi
- 68 Mare Orientale
- 69 Lunar Farside
- Glossary
- Index of lunar features
- Image credits
- Further reading and references
41 - South Pole
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 October 2012
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Advice on using this book
- Contents
- The Moon – an introduction
- Atlas of lunar formations
- 1 Mare Smythii
- 2a Mare Crisium
- 2b Mare Crisium
- 3 Cleomedes
- 4 Endymion
- 5 Atlas/Hercules
- 6 Montes Taurus
- 7 Palus Somni
- 8a Mare Fecunditatis
- 8b Mare Fecunditatis
- 9 Langrenus/Petavius
- 10 Mare Australe
- 11 Vlacq
- 12 Vallis Rheita
- 13a Mare Nectaris
- 13b Mare Nectaris
- 14 Rupes Altai
- 15 Abulfeda
- 16 Theophilus
- 17 Sinus Asperitatis
- 18 Statio Tranquillitatis
- 19a Mare Tranquillitatis
- 19b Mare Tranquillitatis
- 20a Mare Serenitatis
- 20b Mare Serenitatis
- 21 Posidonius
- 22 Lacus Mortis
- 23 Aristoteles/Eudoxus
- 24 Montes Caucasus
- 25 Autolycus/Aristillus
- 26 Cassini
- 27 Montes Alpes
- 28 Plato
- 29 Montes Teneriffe
- 30 Archimedes
- 31a Montes Apenninus
- 31b Montes Apenninus
- 32 Mare Vaporum
- 33 Rima Ariadaeus
- 34 Rima Hyginus
- 35 Sinus Medii
- 36 Hipparchus
- 37a Ptolemaeus
- 37b Ptolemaeus
- 38 Rupes Recta
- 39 Regiomontanus
- 40 Maurolycus
- 41 South Pole
- 42 Clavius
- 43 Tycho
- 44 Schiller
- 45 Palus Epidemiarum
- 46 Pitatus
- 47 Mare Nubium
- 48 Fra Mauro
- 49 Mare Cognitum
- 50 Mare Insularum
- 51a Copernicus
- 51b Copernicus
- 52 Eratosthenes
- 53a Mare Imbrium
- 53b Mare Imbrium
- 54 Sinus Iridum
- 55 Gruithuisen
- 56 Mare Frigoris
- 57 North Pole
- 58 Aristarchus
- 59 Kepler
- 60 Seleucus
- 61 Reiner
- 62 Letronne/Hansteen
- 63 Gassendi
- 64 Mare Humorum
- 65 Schickard
- 66 Sirsalis
- 67 Grimaldi
- 68 Mare Orientale
- 69 Lunar Farside
- Glossary
- Index of lunar features
- Image credits
- Further reading and references
Summary
South Pole 90°S
The Moon's South Pole lies west of the barely 70-km crater Malapert (84.9°S, 12.9°E) – but slightly farther south. The next crater, lying to the west is Cabeus (84.9°S, 35.5°W), just about 100 km in diameter. The South Pole itself is difficult for even experienced lunar observers to locate, because it lies in an area that is saturated with craters, and the lighting and shadows create a chaotic appearance. Observation of the South Pole therefore requires optimum libration angles.
Moretus 70.6°S, 5.8°W
Gruemberger 66.9°S, 10.0°W
Moretus is a relatively young crater, 110 km in diamater, conspicuously terraced inner crater walls and a large, pyramid-shaped central mountain. It undoubtedly was created in the Eratosthenian period on the lunar timescale. It is a magnificent sight under favourable libration conditions in both large and small telescopes.
In stark contrast to Moretus is the significantly older, neighbouring crater Gruemberger, lying directly to the northwest, and which, with a diameter of 94 km, is of a similar size to Moretus. It is obvious from its heavily eroded crater wall that it is distinctly older. The crater Gruemberger A (20 km) lies on the crater's floor.
Curtius 67.2°S, 4.4°E
A crater, 95 km in diameter, with an eccentrically placed central peak, which lies northeast of Moretus. Smaller, later impacts have been superimposed on the crater wall in the south and the east. The crater's floor appears smooth and level.
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- The Cambridge Photographic Moon Atlas , pp. 128 - 129Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012