Mons Gruithuisen Gamma
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Mons Gruithuisen Gamma (γ) is a lunar dome[1] that lies to the north of the crater Gruithuisen at the western edge of the Mare Imbrium.
This massif is shaped as a rounded dome in the surface, occupying a diameter of 20 km and climbing gently to a height of over 1500 meters.[2][3] At the crest is a small crater.
This formation appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, and it has been described by Antonín Rükl as resembling an "upturned bathtub".[4]
To the east lies the similar Mons Gruithuisen Delta (δ). Together they are often informally called the Gruithuisen domes. To the south of the Gruithuisen domes is a portion of Oceanus Procellarum that was named Template:Ill by the IAU in December 2022.[5]
The Gruithuisen domes differ from typical mare domes in that they're more mountain-like in their proportions, with a higher albedo and a rougher surface texture. The lava they're composed of might be the key to why they're different. It's thought to have a higher silica content, making it thicker, slower moving and faster cooling, enabling it to pile up into these structures. Such silicic volcanism is rare on the Moon, and it's still unclear how it can occur there at all, as on Earth it requires the presence of water and plate tectonics - factors absent on the Moon.[6] This makes the region a compelling target for exploration.
Mons Gruithuisen Gamma was expected to be the landing site for Peregrine Mission One, which launched on January 8, 2024, on the maiden flight of the Vulcan Centaur rocket. The mission failed due to a leaky valve, precluding any attempt at landing.
Firefly Aerospace plans to use a Blue Ghost lander to deploy a rover at Gruithuisen Gamma in 2028 as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.[7] Lunar-VISE instruments on the lander and rover will map local variations in geological compositions and thermophysical properties[8]
A small (150 m diameter) crater located near the summit of Mons Gruithuisen Gamma was named Mareta by the IAU in June 2025.[9]
See also
References
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Mons Gruithuisen Gamma, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
- ↑ LROC Quickmap, DEM contours layer
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Sinus Viscositatis, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-3/
- ↑ Mareta, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
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