Kies (crater)

Kies is the remnant of a lunar impact crater that has been flooded by basaltic lava, leaving only a remnant of the outer rim. It was named after German mathematician and astronomer Johann Kies.^[1] It is located in the Mare Nubium almost due south of the crater Bullialdus. Northwest of Kies is König. To the south-southwest lies a lunar dome structure designated Kies Pi (π). It has a small crater at the top and is most likely volcanic in origin.

Kies

Lunar Orbiter 4 image (Dark triangle at upper rim is blemish on original photo)
Coordinates	26°18′S 22°30′W / 26.3°S 22.5°W / -26.3; -22.5
Diameter	44 km
Depth	0.4 km
Colongitude	327° at sunrise
Eponym	Johann Kies^[1]

LRO image of Kies and Kies Pi (lower left), a small lunar dome

Oblique view from Apollo 16

The rim of Kies has numerous gaps and forms a series of ridges in a ring-shaped formation. The most intact rim structures lie in the south and northeast sections of the wall. A low promontory ridge is attached to the southern end of the rim, pointing southwards.

Rays from Tycho crater, located far to the southeast, cross Kies and the surrounding mare.

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 Kies.

Kies	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	28.3° S	22.7° W	16 km
B	28.7° S	21.9° W	9 km
C	26.0° S	26.1° W	5 km
D	24.9° S	18.5° W	6 km
E	28.7° S	22.7° W	6 km

References

1. Kies, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)

Bibliography

• Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
• Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
• Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
• McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". host.planet4589.org. Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
• Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
• Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
• Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
• Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
• Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
• Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
• Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.

 

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