Tycho (lunar crater)
Tycho (/ˈtaɪkoʊ/) is a prominent lunar impact crater located in the southern lunar highlands, named after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601).[2] It is estimated to be 108 million years old.[3]
Coordinates
To the south of Tycho is the crater Street, to the east is Pictet, and to the north-northeast is Sasserides. The surface around Tycho is replete with craters of various sizes, many overlapping still older craters. Some of the smaller craters are secondary craters formed from larger chunks of ejecta from Tycho. It is one of the Moon's brightest craters,[3] with a diameter of 85 km (53 mi)[4] and a depth of 4,700 m (15,400 ft).[1]
Names[edit]
Tycho is named after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.[2] Like many of the craters on the Moon's near side, it was given its name by the Jesuit astronomer G.B. Riccioli, whose 1651 nomenclature system has become standardized.[8][9] Earlier lunar cartographers had given the feature different names. Pierre Gassendi named it Umbilicus Lunaris ('the navel of the Moon').[10] van Langren's 1645 map calls it "Vladislai IV" after Władysław IV Vasa, King of Poland.[11][12] And Johannes Hevelius named it 'Mons Sinai' after Mount Sinai.[13]
March 2007 lunar eclipse. The advancing shadow of Earth brings out detail on the lunar surface. The huge ray system emanating from Tycho is shown as the dominant feature on the southern hemisphere.
Lunar Orbiter 5 image of the northeastern crater floor, showing irregular surface of cracked impact melt. Illumination is from lower right.
Tycho was not photographed up-close during the Apollo program, but Apollo 15 captured this distant oblique view.
Radar image of Tycho Crater.
