science

Littrow (crater)

Littrow (crater) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Littrow (crater) rather than just read about it. In short: Littrow is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, on the east edge of Mare Serenitatis. Its diameter is 29 km.

Key takeaways

Littrow (crater) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Littrow (crater) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Littrow (crater) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Littrow is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, on the east edge of Mare Serenitatis. Its diameter is 29 km. The crater is named after Bohemian astronomer Joseph Johann von Littrow (1781–1840). Some distance to the northeast is the prominent crater Römer, while to the south is Vitruvius.

The rim of Littrow is heavily worn and eroded, especially along the southern wall. The interior has been flooded with lava in the past, leaving a relatively smooth, featureless surface with no central rise.

Rimae Littrow Just to the northwest of Littrow is a system of rilles designated the Rimae Littrow. These are located at selenographic coordinates 22.1° N, 29.9° E, and have a maximum diameter of 115 km. To the south-southwest is the Taurus–Littrow valley that is notable for being the landing site of the Apollo 17 mission. Part of Rimae Littrow (northwest of the crater Clerke) was considered for a landing site of an early Apollo mission, primarily because the mare materials in the area are anomalously dark, and also because there are abundant wrinkle ridges in the area. The site would have been the landing site of Apollo 14 had Apollo 13 succeeded in landing in the Fra Mauro formation lunar highlands. Apollo 14 was redirected there following the failure of Apollo 13 to make a lunar landing.

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 Littrow.

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

Littrow B — See Clerke (crater).

Catena Littrow There is a catena (crater chain), named after crater Littrow.

References

Sources

External links

LTO-43D1 Littrow — L&PI topographic map Littrow at The Moon Wiki All these are on Rimae Littrow;

Wood, Chuck (September 20, 2004). "Young Fractures". Lunar Photo of the Day. Wood, Chuck (September 21, 2004). "Littrow Rilles - A Wider View". Lunar Photo of the Day.

Illustrations

Littrow (crater): Littrow and its satellite craters taken from Earth in 2012 at the University of Hertfordshire's Bayfordbury Observatory with the telescopes Meade LX200 14" and Lumenera Skynyx 2-1 — Littrow and its satellite craters taken from Earth in 2012 at the University of Hertfordshire's Bayfordbury Observatory with the telescopes Meade LX200 14" and Lumenera Skynyx 2-1

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Littrow (crater)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Littrow (crater) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Littrow (crater) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Littrow (crater) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Littrow (crater)

In research: Littrow (crater) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Littrow (crater) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Littrow (crater) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Impact craters on the Moon, LQ12 quadrangle, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Littrow (crater) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Littrow (crater) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Littrow (crater) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Littrow (crater) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Littrow (crater) in simple terms?

Littrow is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, on the east edge of Mare Serenitatis. Its diameter is 29 km.

Why does Littrow (crater) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Littrow (crater)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Littrow (crater).