Schiller 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 ...
located in the southwestern region of the Moon's near side. The rim of Schiller has an elongated shape that is amplified by its proximity to the lunar limb. The long
axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
lies along a line running northwest–southeast, with the wider
girth located in the southeastern half. There is a slight bend in the elongation, with the concave side facing to the northeast. Schiller is thought to be a fusion of two or more craters.
The crater rim is well-defined, with a terraced inner wall and a slight outer rampart. At the southeastern end, a smaller crater is connected to Schiller by a wide valley. Most of the crater floor is flat, most likely due to
lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
flooding. There are some bright patches that are most clearly visible under a high sun angle. A double ridge lies along the center of the northwest crater floor, forming a nearly linear formation that divides the floor in half.
To the southwest of Schiller is the
Schiller-Zucchius Basin
The Schiller-Zucchius Basin is a Pre-Nectarian impact basin on the near side of the moon. It is named after the elongated crater Schiller at the northeast margin and fresh crater Zucchius near the southwest margin. This basin has received the ...
, a
Pre-Nectarian
The pre-Nectarian period of the lunar geologic timescale runs from 4.533 billion years ago (the time of the initial formation of the Moon) to 3.920 billion years ago, when the Nectaris Basin was formed by a large impact. It is followed by the Necta ...
basin (
peak ring basin).
[The geologic history of the Moon, 1987, Wilhelms, Don E.; with sections by McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J. USGS Professional Paper: 1348, Chapter 8.]
online
This basin has received the unofficial designation 'Schiller Annular Plain' among lunar observers.
Satellite craters
Satellite craters are small craters located near the main crater, receiving the same name as that crater accompanied by a complementary capital letter (even if the formation of these craters is independent of the formation of the main crater).
Views from Earth
File:Schiller Crater.jpg
File:Schiller-Lunar-Crater.jpg
File:Schiller-cff350-f15-DCO.jpg
See also
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Orcus Patera (Elongated Martian feature)
References
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{{Authority control
Impact craters on the Moon