Whipple 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 craters ...

located on the lunar far side near the northern pole. The crater is located East of the prominent craters

Byrd Byrd commonly refers to: * William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance * Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer Byrd or Byrds may also refer to: Other people * Byrd (surname), includin ...

and Peary; the latter of which it is located on the rim of. Whipple - LROC - WAC Mosaic

Whipple is permanently shaded from the Sun. Volatile species of atoms and molecules, such as water (and mercury), that enter the crater freeze, and thus get trapped due to the extremely cold conditions that prevail within the crater. Moreover, Whipple crater's radar signature is characterized by a high, same-sense, circular-polarization ratio (CPR). This is thought to indicate that there are thick—at least 2 metres—ice deposits that are relatively pure. Such ice deposits represent a potentially valuable source of drinkable water, as well as rocket propellant in the form of

liquid hydrogen Liquid hydrogen (LH2 or LH2) is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form. To exist as a liquid, H2 must be cooled below its critical point of 33 K. However, for it to be in a fully li ...

and

liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen. It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an applica ...

(LH₂/LO₂). In addition, Whipple is next to a large, quasi-permanently sunlit plateau that occupies its north rim. There, the sun is visible nearly 80% of the time on average; the temperature in such quasi-permanently sunlit areas is quite mild by Lunar standards, averaging approximately -50 °C, ± 10°. This combination of permanently shaded, high-CPR crater adjacent to quasi-permanently sunlit plateau is unique in the north polar region of the Moon. Whipple was adopted and named after American

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

Fred Lawrence Whipple Fred Lawrence Whipple (November 5, 1906 – August 30, 2004) was an American astronomer, who worked at the Harvard College Observatory for more than 70 years. Amongst his achievements were asteroid and comet discoveries, the " dirty snowball" h ...

by the

IAU The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...

in 2009.

References

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External links

LAC-1 area
- Map of northern lunar pole

Impact craters on the Moon {{Moon-crater-stub