Menelaus (crater)
Lunar Orbiter 4 image
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| Coordinates | 16°18′N 16°00′E / 16.3°N 16.0°ECoordinates: 16°18′N 16°00′E / 16.3°N 16.0°E |
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| Diameter | 27 km |
| Depth | 3.0 km |
| Colongitude | 344° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Menelaus of Alexandria |
Menelaus (/ˌmɛnɪˈleɪəs/) is a young lunar impact crater located on the southern shore of Mare Serenitatis near the eastern end of the Montes Hæmus mountain range. To the southwest is the small crater Auwers, and 15 km to the west-southwest is the even smaller Daubrée. To the northeast is a faint rille system named the Rimae Menelaus, near the eastern end is Tacquet crater whose distance from the homonymous crater is 80 km (less than 3 crater diameters) .
Its diameter is 27 km long and is nearly 3,000 meters deep. The area is between 500 and 550 km² and the perimeter is about 80 km.
Also, the sun rises before the third quarter of Earthshine and the sun sets before its first quarter.
The wall of Menelaus is slightly irregular in outline, with a high, sharp rim and inner walls. The interior has a high albedo that is prominent under high sun angles. There are several ridges on the floor. It also has a moderate ray system, with the most prominent ray aligned to the north-northeast across the Mare Serenitatis as well as the smaller crater Bessel and is rarely known as the "Bessel Ray". The location of this ray and slightly off-center central peak suggest an impact at a relatively low angle.
Menelaus is named after the Greek astronomer Menelaus of Alexandria. Like many of the craters on the Moon's near side, it was given its name by Giovanni Riccioli, whose 1651 nomenclature system has become standardized. Earlier lunar cartographers had given the feature different names. Michael van Langren's 1645 map calls it "Mariae Imp. Rom." after Maria Anna, the Holy Roman Empress. And Johannes Hevelius called it "Byzantium (urbs)" after the city of Byzantium. Also Hevelius called a feature named "Palus Inferiores" to the modern ray system of Menelaus meaning the lower marsh.
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Wikipedia