Skip to content
Vatican Observatory
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact

Lunar Central

By Richard Hill  |  4 Mar 2020

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

This entry is part 6 of 73 in the series Lunarcy

Imagine working on a spacecraft, putting your whole effort into building, launching and guiding of it to its destination (Destination Moon for you old timers) only to lose the telemetry 2 1/2 minutes before the projected touchdown? I’ve been in a room where that kind of thing happened (on Mars) and everyone looks like a wet dog. It’s very depressing. The lunar mission I’m speaking of here is Surveyor 4 which crashed into Sinus Medii very near the Huyginus (10km dia.) and the beautiful squat “V” shaped Rima Huyginus seen in the upper right and Triesnecker (27km) with its complex of rimae in the center. The mean center of the visible disk of the Moon is seen at the “+” symbol. Above it are two similar sized craters, Bruce (7km) on the left and Blagg (5km) on the right. To the left of these are two numbers “4” and “6”. The number 4 indicates the supposed crash site of Surveyor 4 on 17 July, 1967. Then just four months later, 10 Nov., 1967, Surveyor 6 successfully landed just a few km to the west of Surveyor 4’s resting place indicated here by the number 6 on the image. The LROC orbital imaging spacecraft has even taken image of Surveyor 6 sitting on the surface (attached). I remember as a teenager being disappointed that Surveyor 6 could not see the crashed Surveyor 4 off in the distance but if you think about the curvature of the Moon with its smaller radius than Earth, that simply would not have been possible.

Before leaving this area I have to point out a couple of my favorite craters just north of the landing sites. The larger one is the ruined crater Murchison (60km) Just above Bruce and Blagg, which is open to the east towards the younger, smaller crater Chladni (14km). Then to the west (left) of it is Pallas (51km) with a nice central peak.I always spend some time looking at these when I’m in the area. There’s so much to commend this region on the Moon!

 

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

Sacred Space Astronomy

The Vatican Observatory’s official digital community and online magazine.

Become a Member

Recent Posts

You Can’t See Atoms, so Why Can You See Stars?

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  4 Feb 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

A tale of an unexpected comet

By Deirdre Kelleghan  |  1 Feb 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Skyward by David Levy – February 2023

By David Levy  |  1 Feb 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Detroit Stories Episode 46: ‘Faith and the Cosmos’ (PODCAST) – Detroit Catholic

By Robert Trembley  |  1 Feb 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Archives

      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • August
      • June
      • March
      • January
      • November
      • October
      • December
      • November
      • April
      • May
      • January
      • December
      • September
      • May
      • March
      • December
      • November
      • February

More Posts in this Series:
"Lunarcy"

78  |  What Do We Lose When We Sacrifice Science?

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  27 May 2021  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

69  |  To err is human… to admit it, is science

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  25 Mar 2021  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

4  |  Meet at the Catena

By Richard Hill  |  10 Dec 2019

7  |  Plateau Sunrise

By Richard Hill  |  18 Sep 2019

8  |  Peeking in a keyhole.

By Richard Hill  |  6 Sep 2019

Newsletter

Upcoming astronomical events, scientific breakthroughs, philosophical reflections… just a few reasons to subscribe to our newsletter!

  • *
Vatican Observatory
  • About
  • Telescopes
  • Latest
  • Podcast
  • Education
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
Privacy Policy  |   Cookie Policy  |   Disclosure Statement

Podcast:

  • Apple Podcasts Listen onApple Podcasts
  • Spotify Listen onSpotify
  • Google Podcasts Listen onGoogle Podcasts
  • Stitcher Listen onStitcher
  • Amazon Alexa Listen onAmazon Alexa
  • TuneIn Listen onTuneIn
Made by Longbeard