| Swift (Lunar crater) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Moon/Planet of origin | Moon |
| Eponym | Lewis Swift |
| Diameter | 6 miles 10 kilometers |
| Colongitude | 307 degrees |
| Neighboring surface features | Pierce |
| Depth | ~1.8 miles 3 kilometers |
| Selenographic coordinates | 19.3 degrees North 53.4 degrees East |
Swift is an impact crater on the Earth's moon. This crater was named after Lewis Swift, which is its eponym. This crater is located in the northeastern part of the near side of the Moon, inside of the Mare Crisium. It is ten kilometers in length and is located just south of the larger crater, Pierce. This crater is sometimes incorrectly named on maps as "Graham", a neighboring crater.
Before being renamed by the International Astronomical Union, this crater was formally designated as Pierce B, due to its neighboring crater.
Formation
Edit
Swift was created from a minor impact from an asteroid. Since the Moon has no atmosphere, the asteroid did not disintegrate before impacting the surface. After this impact occurred, several impacts followed near the area, causing more ground-related disruptions such as earthquakes. These earthquakes began to shuffle many strata of rock of this crater, causing it to expand and give it a more circular shape.
Visibility from EarthEdit
This crater is not visible from Earth without the assistance of a telescope. This crater is smaller compared to other geographical features, therefore a viewer must have a larger power telescope to see this crater clearer.
