Shaler 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 southeast interior edge of the
Montes Cordillera mountain ring that surrounds the immense
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale (Latin ''orientāle'', the "eastern sea") is a lunar mare. It is located on the western border of the near side and far side of the Moon, and is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective. Images from spacecraft have reveal ...
formation. It is located near the southwest limb of 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 ...
on the near side, and so is viewed nearly from on edge from the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. Just to the northwest of the crater is the slightly smaller crater
Wright
Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...
.
The long, irregular
Vallis Bouvard valley begins at the southern rim of Shaler, and winds its way to the south-southeast towards the crater
Baade. This is one of several such valleys that radiate away from the southeast edge of the Mare Orientale impact basin, the other two being
Vallis Inghirami and
Vallis Baade.
Shaler has been affected by its location on the southern edge of the Montes Cordillera, as the floor is rough and irregular, particularly toward the southwest where several small, parallel clefts appear in the surface. The rim is nearly circular, although slightly flattened along the south edge, and the edge remains sharply defined with little appearance of erosion.
References
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Impact craters on the Moon