Linné (crater)

Linné (crater)

240px Lunar crater Linné from Apollo 15. NASA photo.
Coordinates
Diameter	2.4 km
Depth	0.6 km
Colongitude	348° at sunrise
Eponym	Carl von Linné

File:NASA's Planetary CSI - Crater Science Investigations.ogv

Learn what LRO has learned about Linne Crater in this video.

Linné is a small lunar impact crater located in the western Mare Serenitatis. The mare around this feature is virtually devoid of other features of interest. The nearest named crater is Banting to the east-southeast.

File:Linne crater 4098 h1.jpg

Lunar Orbiter 4 image

The estimated age of this crater is only a few tens of millions of years. It was earlier believed to have a bowl shape, but data from the LRO showed that it has a shape of a flattened, inverted cone. The crater is surrounded by a blanket of ejecta formed during the original impact. This ejecta has a relatively high albedo, making the feature appear bright.

In 1866, the experienced lunar observer and mapmaker Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt made the surprising claim that Linné had changed its appearance. Instead of a normal, somewhat deep crater it had become a mere white patch. A controversy arose that continued for many decades. However, this crater size tests the limit of visual perception of Earth-based telescopes. In conditions of poor seeing this feature can appear to vanish from sight (see also transient lunar phenomenon).

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 Linné.

Linné	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	28.9° N	14.4° E	4 km
B	30.5° N	14.2° E	5 km
D	28.7° N	17.1° E	5 km
F	32.3° N	13.9° E	5 km
G	35.9° N	13.3° E	5 km
H	33.7° N	13.8° E	3 km

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

• Linné E — See Banting (crater).

External links

• LTO-42A4 Linne — L&PI topographic map