Looking Down the Chain
Explanation:
Radiating from Mare Nectaris are a number of linear features, most notably the Rheita and Snellius valleys. These are thought to be basin secondary crater chains resulting from large blocks of rock ejected almost like a ray during the Nectaris impact. Anthony's excellent image looking down the chain showcases a longtime peculiar feature of the Rheita Valley - it bends. And it also seems to change it character - the craters between Rheita and Mallet are about 25 lm wide, but those closer to the limb have average widths of only about 10 km. I wonder if these two different-sized and different angled crater chains were formed by the same event or by separate ones?
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Chuck Wood
Technical Details:
Oct 30, 2004. Celestron 14" + Phillips ToUCam PCVC; 86 of 2413 frames processed with K3CCDTools, AVIJoiner, Registax and Photoshop. There is no mouseover image with crater names because I (CAW) and watching election returns tonight!
Related Links:
Anthony's Vibrant Universe Web Site
Lunar Orbiter IV View
Rukl Atlas of the Moon, Sheet 68
