Middle Crescent (crater)

{{Short description|Crater on the Moon}}

{{Infobox Lunar crater

| image = File:Middle Crescent crater M114104917RC.jpg

| caption = LRO Narrow Angle Camera image

| coordinates = {{coord|3.00|S|23.44|W|globe:moon_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| diameter = 360 m[http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3885 Middle Crescent], Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)

| depth =

| colong =

| eponym = Astronaut-named feature

}}

Middle Crescent crater is a small crater in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon. The name of the crater was formally adopted by the IAU in 1973.

Apollo 12 astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean landed the Lunar Module (LM) Intrepid east of Middle Crescent crater on November 19, 1969. To the southeast of Middle Crescent is Head crater. Middle Crescent is the largest crater visited by the Apollo 12 astronauts.

File:Middle Crescent crater AS12-46-6837-6839-6841-6844.jpg

The crater was described in the Apollo 12 Preliminary Science Report:Apollo 12 Preliminary Science Report, NASA Special Publi PDFcation 235, 1970. [https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19700025955/downloads/19700025955.pdf PDF]

:Northwest of the LM is the largest crater visited, the 400-m-diameter Middle Crescent Crater. On looking down into the crater, the astronauts noticed huge blocks on the crater wall, which were probably derived from the local bedrock. Large rock fragments in this crater probably have been exposed since the crater was formed and probably represent the deepest layers excavated at the Apollo 12 landing site.

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