Icarus (crater)
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Icarus is a
lunar Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon". Lunar may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games * "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta * "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...
impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...
that lies on the
Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
's
far side ''The Far Side'' is a single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Chronicle Features and then Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from December 31, 1979, to January 1, 1995 (when Larson retired as a cartoonist). Its surrealis ...
. It is located to the west of the huge walled plain Korolev, and less than two crater diameters to the east of the crater
Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, a ...
. To the south of Icarus is the smaller Amici. Icarus has a worn rim and a relatively wide inner wall. A small crater lies across the southern rim, and the side bulges outward slightly along the southwestern face. There is a disproportionately tall central peak located near the crater midpoint. This rise is unusual in that it is taller than the outer rim; most peaks are only about half the crater depth. The remainder of the floor is relatively flat in the eastern half and slightly more irregular to the west. Icarus was named by the Apollo 15 crew. Composer
Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...
made a tune called Icarus which was released in an album of the Paul Winter consort. One member of the consort was cellist David Darling, whose brother-in-law was astronaut Joseph P. Allen. Allen served as mission scientist while a member of the astronaut support crew for Apollo 15. He gave the Apollo 15 crew a tape of the Paul Winter consort. the Apollo 15 crew named two moon craters after Ralph Towner's compositions "Ghost Beads" and "Icarus".


Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Icarus.


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Impact craters on the Moon