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Mount Marilyn

Mount Marilyn 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 Mount Marilyn rather than just read about it. In short: Mount Marilyn (Secchi theta) is a lunar mountain within the Montes Secchi, which separate Mare Fecunditatis to the east from Mare Tranquillitatis to the west. It was named by astronaut Jim Lovell for his wife, Marilyn, at about the time of the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon in 1968.

Mount Marilyn — main illustration
Mount Marilyn — illustration

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Mount Marilyn (Secchi theta) is a lunar mountain within the Montes Secchi, which separate Mare Fecunditatis to the east from Mare Tranquillitatis to the west. It was named by astronaut Jim Lovell for his wife, Marilyn, at about the time of the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon in 1968. The name was informal until July 26, 2017, when it was officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Its approximate position is 40.0°E, 1.1°N. The small crater at the north tip of Mount Marilyn is known as Secchi O crater. The small crater unofficially known as Weatherford (probably because Apollo 10 Commander Tom Stafford was from Weatherford, Oklahoma) is located just west of the north tip. The mountain is mentioned in the 1995 film Apollo 13, where Jim Lovell (portrayed by Tom Hanks) shows his wife (and namesake of the mountain) Marilyn Lovell (Portrayed by Kathleen Quinlan) where the mountain is.

References

External links

2017 IAU announcement

Illustrations

Mount Marilyn illustration
Mount Marilyn: Oblique view from Apollo 15, facing south.
Oblique view from Apollo 15, facing south.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mount Marilyn

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mount Marilyn 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 Mount Marilyn 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 Mount Marilyn 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 Mount Marilyn

In research
Mount Marilyn 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 Mount Marilyn 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
Mount Marilyn is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Apollo 13, Apollo 8, LQ12 quadrangle, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Mount Marilyn 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 Mount Marilyn in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Mount Marilyn in simple terms?

Mount Marilyn (Secchi theta) is a lunar mountain within the Montes Secchi, which separate Mare Fecunditatis to the east from Mare Tranquillitatis to the west. It was named by astronaut Jim Lovell for his wife, Marilyn, at about the time of the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon in 1968.

Why does Mount Marilyn 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 Mount Marilyn?

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 Mount Marilyn.

Tags

  • Apollo 13
  • Apollo 8
  • LQ12 quadrangle
  • Moon stubs
  • Mountains on the Moon

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