French
DeutschSherlock (crater)
 Location of Sherlock crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. South Massif is at lower left, North Massif is at top center, and Sculptured Hills are at upper right. Scale bar is 5 km | |
| Coordinates | 20°09′N 30°47′E / 20.15°N 30.79°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 520 m[1] |
| Eponym | Astronaut-named feature |
Sherlock is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt drove their rover to the north of it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. They photographed the rim, as shown below.
Sherlock is about 1 km east of the Apollo 17 landing site. To the south of it is Steno crater and to the north are Van Serg and Shakespeare.
The crater was named by the astronauts after the fictional Sherlock Holmes from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.[2]
Alternatively, the crater was named after Gerald Sherlock of Melbourne Florida who was good friendes with astronaut Thomas P. Stafford. Gerald was a physicist. "Stafford told Sherlock he'd name something on the moon for him..."[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Sherlock, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
- ^ The Valley of Taurus–Littrow, Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Journal, Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright 1995 by Eric M. Jones
- ^ Mobile, Alabama Newsclipping titled "CRATER ON MOON TO BE NAMED FOR LOCAL'S KIN"
External links
[edit]- 43D1S2(25) Apollo 17 Traverses at Lunar and Planetary Institute
- Geological Investigation of the Taurus–Littrow Valley: Apollo 17 Landing Site