Bürg (crater)
Crater on the Moon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bürg is a prominent lunar impact crater in the northeast part of the Moon.[3] It lies within the lava-flooded, ruined crater formation designated Lacus Mortis.[4] To the south and southeast is the crater pair Plana and Mason. To the west, beyond the rim of Lacus Mortis, is the prominent crater Eudoxus.[5]: 26
Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 45.0°N 28.2°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 41.04 km |
| Depth | 3.07[1] km |
| Colongitude | 332° at sunrise |
| Formation | Copernican[2] |
| Eponym | Johann T. Bürg |
The rim of Bürg is nearly circular with relatively little wear. The interior is bowl-shaped, and there is a large central mountain at the midpoint.[4] The spectra of the central peak fits a noritic gabbro mineralogy, which originated from a depth of 3.9 to 5.8 km.[6] Along the crest of this mountain some observers have noted a small, crater-like pit.[5]: 26 The crater has a ray system that crosses Mare Serenitatis,[7] and is consequently mapped as part of the Copernican System.[2] It is characterised by an extremely high rockfall density by lunar standards.[8]: 2
To the west is a rille system designated the Rimae Bürg,[3] which spans a distance of about 100 kilometers.
Bürg is named for Austrian astronomer Johann Tobias Bürg,[9] who discovered Antares's companion star during an occultation event in 1819.[10] His name was introduced into lunar nomenclature by J. H. von Mädler in 1837.[11] This designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.[9]
