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Zhinyu (crater)

Coordinates: 45°20′S 176°09′E / 45.34°S 176.15°E / -45.34; 176.15
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Zhinyu
LRO mosaic
Coordinates45°20′S 176°09′E / 45.34°S 176.15°E / -45.34; 176.15
Diameter3.8 km
DepthUnknown
EponymConstellation name in ancient Chinese star map
Oblique view with Zhinyu at center, and the Chang'e 4 lander and rover indicated by arrows

Zhinyu is a lunar impact crater that is located within Von Kármán crater on the far side of the Moon. The crater is located west of the landing site of the Chinese Chang'e 4 lander.[1] The best fit model of the crater impactor suggest a projectile with a diameter of 224 m and a velocity of 17 km/s.[2]

The crater's name was approved by the IAU on 4 February 2019.[3] It is named after the Chinese mythical figure Zhinü, the “weaver girl” (织女; 織女; Zhīnǚ) from the traditional myth The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, as well as an ancient Chinese constellation.[3]

This is a young crater with a diameter of about 3.8 km and a depth of around 800 m. This impact penetrated the 320 m deep basalt mare deposits in the Von Kármán crater, thus providing information about the subsurface deposits. The ejecta from the Zhinyu crater varies radially by distance, suggesting a heterogeneous composition. It displays three layers of separate deposits from the mare, but the composition of the layers is similar and may have a common origin.[4]

References

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  1. ^ LAC-119
  2. ^ Yue, Zongyu; et al. (2023). "Lunar Evolution Analysis Based on Numerical Simulations of Typical Lunar Impact Craters". Space: Science & Technology. 3. id. 0084. Bibcode:2023SpScT...3...84Y. doi:10.34133/space.0084.
  3. ^ a b Zhinyu, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU), Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
  4. ^ Gou, Sheng; et al. (May 2021). "Mare basalt flooding events surrounding Chang'e-4 landing site as revealed by Zhinyu crater ejecta". Icarus. 360. id. 114370. Bibcode:2021Icar..36014370G. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114370.