Unofficial Names (G to L)

Part 2 of the ABC of Unofficial Lunar Nomenclature, Discontinued Nomenclature, disallowed names, proposed names, and nicknames

• • Part 1 (A to F), Part 3 (M to R), and Part 4 (S to Z) are on separate pages

G to L:

G

- Gambart Hills (only on Rand McNally's moonmap).
  - Gambart L's Radial Spokes (D.Caes' nickname for the curious system of dark radial bands ("spokes") on the inner slopes of Gambart L).
  - Gant (H.P.Wilkins' name for Archimedes A, which is today's Bancroft).
  - Garcia-Gomez (H.P.Wilkins' name for Alpetragius B).
  - Garcia-Gomez's Mob (D.Caes' nickname for a cluster of craterlets immediately north of Garcia-Gomez/ Alpetragius B).
  - Gardner Megadome (the pronounced elevation south of Gardner).
  - Gargantuan Basin (P.Cadogan's name for the largest (?) basin on the moon, see also: Procellarum Basin).
  - Gartner's Rugbyball (D.Caes' nickname for the "Rugby-ball shaped" crater Gartner M at 55°30' North/ 37°30' East).
  - The Gashes (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Gassendi Archipelago (B.Pilz's name for the cluster of hills and hillocks between Gassendi and NASA's "The Helmet")(see also: "Andreus Hills").
  - Gateway Rocks (L.S.Copeland's nickname for low hills at Palus Putredinis, which became Apollo 15's "Bennett Hill" and "Hill 305"-"Fresnel Ridge").
  - Sinus Gay-Lussac
  - GDL (the Sternberg Institute's name for Catena Leuschner).
  - Gemini (the IAU's Keeler).
  - Gemini Ridge (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Gemini Twins (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Gentle Crater (within Le Monnier, near the landingsite of Luna 21/ Lunokhod 2, see LPOD 19-12-2008).
  - Ghost of Posidonius (a nickname from D.Caes for the more-or-less circle shaped arrangement of several wrinkle ridges southwest of Posidonius, on Mare Serenitatis) (this "ghost" was already discovered during the preceding century and was depicted on lunar map SLC-B3).
  - Gilruth (the IAU's Hertzsprung).
  - Giner (H.P.Wilkins's name for Posidonius P).
  - GIRD (the Sternberg Institute's name for Catena Michelson).
  - Glaciei, Stagnum/ Swamp of Ice (G.B.Riccioli's name for Mare Humboldtianum).
  - Gluck, Rima (the LTO's name for a rille near Artsimovich).
  - Goclenius, Fossae (the LTO's name for a region near Goclenius).
  - Golden Handle effect (the same as the Jewelled Handle) (a wonderful clair-obscur phenomenon at Montes Jura and Sinus Iridum).
  - Golgi's Ghost (D.Caes' nickname for a curious "mini Wargentin-like" ghostcrater near Golgi, at 29° North/ 61°30' West).
  - Golubiz Cluster (only on Rand McNally's moonmap, a group of hillocks between Campanus and Kies).
  - Graham (H.P.Wilkins' name for Peirce A? or B?).
  - Terra Grandinis/ Land of Hail (G.B.Riccioli's name for the mountainous area between Mare Imbrium, Mare Frigoris, and Mare Serenitatis).
  - Granollachs (this seems to be one of H.P.Wilkins' names for Gauricus A, although it is not included in his book The Moon. Danny Caes (the compiler of this ABC) detected the name "Granollachs" on one of the Spanish moon-related websites).
  - Gran Sasso (D.Caes' name for the highest peak in the Montes Apenninus)(see also: Wikipedia page Gran Sasso).
  - The Great Pass (the pass between Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis)(north of the Montes Apenninus, south of the Montes Caucasus). Also called Straits of Fresnel by Charles Wood.
  - Great White Sheer Wall (a nickname by Westwind for the northwestern quadrant of Moretus).
  - Greek Theater Mask (D.Licchelli's nickname for Fabricius and Janssen J + K).
  - Green (H.P.Wilkins' name for an unlocated formation, probably near the moon's western limb).
  - Grimaldi Basin
  - Grimm (the LTO's name for a crater near the IAU's Volkov).
  - Grin (or GRIN) (?) (the Sternberg Institute's name for an unlocated formation, probably on the moon's farside, I have to investigate this). - DannyCaes Sep 19, 2015
  - Grissom (the IAU's Pavlov).
  - Grissom-White Basin
  - Gruithuisen's "Lunar City" (near Schroter).
  - Gruithuisen's Mob (D.Caes' nickname for a cluster of craterlets near Gruithuisen)(north-northwest of Gruithuisen).
  - Guajara (one of the peaks of Montes Teneriffe, thus named by W.R.Birt).
  - Guericke's Keyhole (D.Caes' nickname for the keyhole-shaped craters Guericke J and S)(and there's another smaller "keyhole" between Guericke and Kundt).
  - Guitar (D.Caes' nickname for the Guitar-shaped depression between Fedorov and Mons Delisle)(see also: "Bottle").
  - Gutenberg, Fossae (the LTO's name for a region near Gutenberg).
  - Gwilt, G. (W.R.Birt's name for an unlocated formation, or... one of the couple Ritter B/C).
  - Gwilt, J. (W.R.Birt's name for an unlocated formation, or... one of the couple Ritter B/C).
  - Gyldén Valley, or: Vallis Gyldén (D.Caes' name for the valley at Gyldén's western rim, which is part of the Imbrium radial sculpture).
 
 

H

- Haas (H.P.Wilkins' name for Pico E).
  - Haise (the IAU's Kondratyuk).
  - Hallowes (H.P.Wilkins' name for a formation southeast of Zeno).
  - Handel, Rima (the LTO's name for a rille near Prinz).
  - Harden, Mons (or: Mount Harden; the distinct mount immediately to the west of crater Harden on the floor of Mendeleev, see: AS16-P-4761).
  - Hare (H.P.Wilkins' name for Bailly B).
  - Harris (H.P.Wilkins' name for Riccioli E).
  - Haruyama pit (the Skylight at the Marius hills, discovered by Junichi Haruyama).
  - Hauet (H.P.Wilkins' name for Wurzelbauer D).
  - Headlights (the pair of high-albedo ray craters Furnerius A and Stevinus A) (see Charles Wood's and Maurice Collins' 21st Century Atlas of the Moon, page 20).
  - Heine (the LTO's name for a crater near the IAU's Volkov).
  - Hell Plain (the IAU's Deslandres, which was once called "Horbiger" by J.P.H.Fauth).
  - Héllène (F.C.Lamech's name for Posidonius J).
  - The Helmet (the curious helmet-shaped region east of Gassendi and north of Agatharchides).
  - Henry (NASA's unofficial name for one of the small craterlets in the Taurus-Littrow valley, Apollo 17 december 1972).
  - Montes Hercynii, Hercynian Mountains
  - Herigonius's Snake (D.Caes' nickname for the eastern end of Rima Herigonius, at 11°45' South/ 35°45' West).
  - Hermes (G.B.Riccioli's name for a dark area)(I have to investigate that name).
  - Hertzsprung Basin
  - Heyrovsky Valley, or Vallis Heyrovsky (D.Caes' name for the valley slightly west of Heyrovsky, running south toward the northern rim of Rydberg).
  - Hidden Valley (L.S.Copeland's nickname for Promontorium Fresnel and Santos Dumont).
  - Mare Hiemis
  - Hill (H.P.Wilkins' name for Lockyer H).
  - Hill Country (L.S.Copeland's nickname for Montes Archimedes).
  - Hill 305 (see: Fresnel Ridge).
  - Hill 305 Twins (D.Caes' nickname for the couple of bowl-shaped craterlets immediately west of Hill 305).
  - Hill 22 (Apollo 15 site)(north of Mons Hadley).
  - Homer (the LTO's name for Stark V)(?).
  - Honey Lake (south of Vieta; Harold Hill's "Basaltic Lava Areas").
  - Hoover Dam (the central peak of Arzachel, nicknamed "Hoover Dam" by S.Keene).
  - Horbiger (P.Fauth's name for the walled plain Deslandres).
  - Horseshoe (Harold Hill's nickname for the bay-shaped crater Parry M).
  - Houston (the IAU's Sklodowska).
  - Hugo (the LTO's name for Purkyne V).
  - Humboldtianum Basin
  - Humboldt mountains (T.G.Elger's name for a mountainous region near Humboldt).
  - Humorum Basin
  - Humorum's triplet (D.Caes' nickname for the trio Doppelmayer J, K, and L).
  - Hussein (the LTO's name for Cauchy A).
  - Hyginus Nova (Hyginus N, called "Hyginus Nova" by Hermann Klein).
 
 

I

- Ibanez (H.P.Wilkins' name for Marinus K? or Hamilton B?).
  - Ibn Hayyan (the LTO's name for Zwicky N).
  - Imbrium Basin
  - Imbrium Sculpture
  - Incognito, Mare (H.P.Wilkins' name for a region west (or east?) of Gauss).
  - Ingalls (H.P.Wilkins' name for Riccioli C).
  - Ingenii Basin
  - Insularum Basin
  - Iunctinus (G.B.Riccioli's name for Fra Mauro Sigma).
 
 

J

- Jackson-Gwilt -- name introduced by Birt for the crater currently known as Bliss. Not incorporated into the original IAU Nomenclature, where it was designated Plato A.
  - James (the LTO's name for Lick F).
  - Jan Mayen (D.Caes' name for the "island" Piton Gamma at 38° North/ 2° West)(northeast of Montes Spitzbergen).
  - Jansen R's small companion (a nickname from D.Caes for the small ghost-crater SE of the much larger ghost-crater Jansen R).
  - J.Cassini (also called J.J.Cassini).
  - Jekaterinburg Damm (near Montes Riphaeus, at the western part of Mare Cognitum)(thus named by J.N.Krieger and R.Konig).
  - Jekaterinburg Pass (in Montes Riphaeus)(thus named by J.N.Krieger and R.Konig).
  - Jew's Harp (Elger's name for the odd swirl formation Reiner Gamma).
  - J. Herschel Valley, or: Vallis J. Herschel (D.Caes' name for the shallow valley near the S.W.-part of J.Herschel's rim).
  - Jiyah (H.P.Wilkins' name for Mersenius D).
  - John Lennon Peace Crater (Daniell D).
  - Johnson (the LTO's name for a crater west of Brunner).
  - Juan (H.P.Wilkins' name for a formation south of Mare Orientale)(northeast of Wilkins's "Fresa" and Lagrange G).
  - Juggler (P.E.Murray's nickname for the dark mare-regions observed during Full Moon, see also: "Basketball Player", "Soccer Player", "Volleyball Player").
  - Jules Verne's fault (an unofficial name from D.Caes for the remarkable crack-like feature on the eastern part Jules Verne's floor).
  - Jules Verne's handcuff (a nickname from D.Caes for the curious handcuff-shaped shallow crater at the western part of Jules Verne's floor).
  - Jungnitz (J.H.Franz's name for Demonax).
 
 

K

- KAMP (Apollo 11's Command Module Pilot (Michael Collins) seems to have called a crater in or near Mare Spumans "KAMP", in honour of his family (Kate, Ann, Michael, and Pat). Source: John Moore, see discussion at LPOD 25-10-2009).
  - Kant Plateau (near Kant).
  - Karische Strasse (in Montes Riphaeus)(thus named by J.N.Krieger and R.Konig).
  - Keeler-Heaviside Basin
  - Keill (F.v.P.Gruithuisen's name for an unlocated formation).
  - Kelvin, Dorsa (Dorsa Kelvin: D.Caes' name for the arc-shaped system of wrinkle ridges on the eastern part of Mare Humorum's floor, near Promontorium Kelvin).
  - Kephalinos (F.C.Lamech's name for Hercules F).
  - Keyhole (N°1: a commonly used nickname for both Fauth and Fauth A).
  - Keyhole (N°2: one of NASA's nicknames for a formation on the moon's Far Side, mentioned in David Woods' and Frank O'Brien's Apollo 15 Flight Journal, at 81:15:41 GET in the mission)(this could be the keyhole-shaped crater southwest of Korolev L, depicted in Apollo 8's Pan 1; assembled by David Woods and Frank O'Brien for their Apollo 8 Flight Journal).
  - Khandrikov (the Sternberg Institute's name for farside crater Brouwer P).
  - Kirch pinnacle (a nickname from D.Caes for the officially unnamed hillock immediately north of Kirch).
  - Kleiber (the Sternberg Institute's name for farside crater Houzeau).
  - Klepesta (F.C.Lamech's name for Airy B).
  - Kohlrausch (the Sternberg Institute's name for an unlocated formation, probably a farside crater, I have to investigate this). - DannyCaes Sep 19, 2015
  - Korolev Basin
  - Kovalevskij (the LTO's name for Timocharis B).
  - Kraft (the IAU's Marconi).
  - Kristmannus (G.B.Riccioli's name for the IAU's Lacus Excellentiae).
  - Krosigk (H.P.Wilkins' name for Tobias Mayer G).
 

L

- Lacus Laplace (an unofficial name from D.Caes for the "flat" region about halfway between Promontorium Laplace and Maupertuis).
  - Lacus Locusta, or: Lobster Lake (lunar observer Ronb(ee)'s name for a lobster-like area near Lacus Bonitatis).
  - Lacus Mortis Fault
  - Lacus Risus Felis (Ch.Wood's name for a cluster of dark mare regions near Mare Marginis) (see LPOD Beyond the Cat's Smile).
  - Lake Titicaca (E.A.Whitaker's name for one of the dark spots in Alphonsus)(see: V.A.Firsoff's book The Old Moon and the New, page 152).
  - Lambert, Dorsa (the LTO's name for Lambert R).
  - Landerer (H.P.Wilkins' name for Mersenius B).
  - La Paz (H.P.Wilkins' name for Byrgius A).
  - Laplace hillocks (a nickname from D.Caes for the cluster of hillocks west of Promontorium Laplace, near the northeastern part of Montes Jura).
  - Laplace, Mons (a name from D.Caes for the hill east of Promontorium Laplace, about halfway between Promontorium Laplace and Montes Recti).
  - Larrieu's Dam (Polybius K) (discovered by A.C.Larrieu of Marseille, France. See Nigel Longshaw's article).
  - Lassell Massif (Ch.Wood's name for the yellowish elevation northwest of Lassell).
  - Promontorium Lavinium
  - Leavitt, Mons (D.Caes' name for the prominent peak east of Leavitt, which is part of the Southpole-Aitken Basin's ring system).
  - Montes Leibnitz
  - Le Monnier, Catena (D.Caes' name for the row of tiny depressions on the floor of Le Monnier).
  - Lenham (H.P.Wilkins' name for Kies A).
  - Lenz' Beauty (D.Caes' nickname for the exceptionally beautiful ray-crater Pierazzo near Lenz) (this is perhaps the most "well-organized" ray-system on the entire moon's surface!).
  - Leon Hills (only on Rand McNally's moonmap, the group of hills north of Wichmann)(Wichmann R).
  - Levisky (F.C.Lamech's name for the IAU's Trouvelot).
  - L.F.Ball (H.P.Wilkins' name for Endymion B).
  - L'Hospital (a very rare case, printed as name N°460 in the gazetteer of lunar nomenclature of the *Second Complete Moon Map, 1969* of the Sternberg Astronomy Institute). See online scan of that gazetteer, in the wonderful IPCD site. According to this map, it should be the farside crater officially known as Mitra A.
  - Lichtenberg's Ghost (D.Caes' nickname for the Flamsteed-P type crater at the north-northwestern rim of Lichtenberg).
  - Liddiard (H.P.Wilkins' name for a formation east (or west?) of Gauss).
  - Linemannus (G.B.Riccioli's name for Flamsteed Kappa and nearby formations).
  - The Link (from Gemma Frisius to Rabbi Levi).
  - Li Po (the LTO's name for Hume Z).
  - Lippershey's ghost (a nickname from D.Caes for the ghost-crater northeast of Lippershey).
  - Lippershey's lozenge (a nickname from D.Caes for the lozenge-shaped system of wrinkle ridges on which Lippershey is located).
  - Little Green Man (LGM), at 164° West/ 35° South in Mare Ingenii.
  - Little Moltke (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Littrow, Fossae (the LTO's name for a region near Littrow).
  - Livingstone (W.R.Birt's name for one of the three craters near Langrenus which are nowadays known as Atwood, Bilharz, and Naonobu) (W.R.Birt wanted to call them Baker, Livingstone, and Stanley).
  - Lloyd's mountain (or Peter Lloyd's mountain) (87.8 degrees north, 150 degrees west, on the rim of Rozhdestvenskiy). Mentioned by Peter Lloyd in Chuck Taylor's LUNAR OBSERVING group.
  - Lobachevsky's dark streaks (a couple of curious dark streaks on the rim of farside crater Lobachevsky, investigated and photographed during Apollo's scientific J-missions).
  - Lobster (or: Trilobite)(the system of hills northeast of Gassendi which have a typical lobster-like or trilobite-like look through telescope!)(thus nicknamed by A.Peck). See Apollo 16's orbital close-up of it: AS16-119-19178.
  - Lobster Lake (see: Lacus Locusta).
  - Lohrmann-A's Swirl (D.Caes' nickname for a Reiner-Gamma type swirl at 1° South/ 61° West)(near Lohrmann-A).
  - Lomonosov-Fleming Basin
  - Lomonosov Mountains/ Montes Lomonosov (Montes Archimedes)(the name Montes Lomonosov appeared in the book The Moon by A.V.Markov)(also called "Archimedes Island" by A.Herring, and "Hill Country" by L.S.Copeland).
  - Lonesome Mesa (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Longfellow (the LTO's name for Hirayama Q).
  - Longomontanus's wafer-structure (D.Caes' nickname for the small wafer-like appearance at 52° South/ 22° West).
  - Lorca (the LTO's name for Aratus CA).
  - Lorentz Basin
  - Loro Basin (only on Rand McNally's moonmap, the flat area east of Parrot C).
  - Lost Basin (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Lost Crater (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Lost Peninsula (Ch.Wood's nickname for the Imbrium ejecta region at 37° North/ 22° East).
  - Lost Valley (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Lothrop Hills (only on Rand McNally's moonmap, this is Harold Hill's "Euler Group"; with Mons Vinogradov).
  - Love Catena (Catena Love) (D.Caes's name for the pronounced chain on the western part of farside crater Love's rim).
  - Lovell (the IAU's Hilbert).
  - Low (the IAU's Icarus).
  - Lowe (H.P.Wilkins' name for Riccioli A? or Schluter?).
  - Lower (H.P.Wilkins' name for Hansen B).
  - Lower Alps Highlands (only on Rand McNally's moonmap).
  - Lower Apennine Highlands (only on Rand McNally's moonmap).
  - Low Mesa (Apollo 10/ Apollo 11 flight path).
  - Lubbock Rille (C.A.Wood's unofficial name for the previously unnamed rille near Lubbock H, see also LPOD Rilles and Basins).
  - Luna Incognita (the moon's southpole region, unphotographed before the Galileo and Clementine probes).
  - Lunar basin names -- none of these are officially recognized by the IAU -- click for separate list
  - Lyot (H.P.Wilkins's name for Ptolemaeus A, which is today's Ammonius).
 
 

Small interview

Danny, which one of the many unofficial lunar names was the very first one that attracted your attention?
It was Wilkins's GINER, officially known as Posidonius P.
I noticed the appearance of that name on the Hallwag moonmap, back in 1981 or 82.
How did you know it was an unofficial name and not official?
I didn't know it! I knew nothing of the existence of official versus unofficial lunar nomenclature. The name GINER was not printed on chart 14 of Antonin Rukl's small pocket-version of his ATLAS OF THE MOON, and I thought it was some sort of typographical error. A solitary case. In 1990 or 1991 I noticed many more of those "typographical errors" on the same Hallwag moonmap, and I compiled a small list of the names which were not included on the charts of Antonin Rukl's pocket moonatlas.
I see. And after the Hallwag-moonmap you wanted to explore other moonmaps, to know if there were many more of those strange names.
That's correct. Call it an obsession. I browsed through every astronomy-related magazine and moonbook, to know if there was a moonmap included, or perhaps a catalog of lunar nomenclature.
Strange hobby.
Indeed it is. In those days I didn't know it was a very rare pastime. I was one of the VERY few who's attention was attracted by unofficial lunar nomenclature and nicknames.
Do you wish to go to the moon some day?
Of course!
In my mind I am already on the lunar surface.
I can imagine that. Is it some sort of escapism?
You mean "mentally walking on the moon"? I don't know if one could call it "escapism". All I know is: our moon should be explored the way tourists and investigators do. There's lots to discover on the moon! Only less than one percent of the lunar surface is really explored. The sixties's and seventies's landings were only the beginning of something which could be much more advanced and scientific.
I guess you are not the sort of person who's exploring the magic of exotic astronomy, such as the study of black holes, wormholes, and "dark matter" in the universe.
Not at all! Try to talk about such topics to the visitors of a Public Observatory. One can't show such imaginary and theoretical things through a telescope! If one is about to observe a black hole, or "dark matter", then it's not wise to aim the telescope at the nocturnal sky. Just leave the protecting cap on the telescope's objective-lens and observe: there's nothing, and it looks VERY dark!
Strange philosophy, but I guess you're right about that.

Additional small interview

Now, Danny, are you still that curmudgeon'esque or misanthrope'ish person whenever exotic astronomical topics such as 'black holes' and 'dark matter in the universe' are mentioned?
Not anymore, because these topics are SCIENCE, and we need scientific subjects very badly these days! Look at the deteriorating condition of the world and the people's minds, and you know it's about time we should focus on SCIENCE instead of playing digital wargames, watching action movies, or looking at each other's facebook to know which one of your friends went to the lavatory.
I still feel that misanthrope in you!
Yes, part of me is still the angry young man, although I'm age 53 now. It's also because of the narrow-minded conditions on the workfloor and the daily "workman's radio" (Flemish Q-Music) which is a real torture in the ears of those who love swinging spicy music. The daily torment of Q-Music is quite the same as being lock'd up in prison, every day is the same as the day before today or the day after... I can't understand why the Flemish people want to hear Q-Music, it's a dull swab. No wonder I want to run to the moon. I need mental escapism. I don't want to become like one of those voodoo workers in Fritz Lang's Metropolis.
Where or what would you be without the moon and astronomy?
Nowhere and nothing.
Suicide is the only option. I can't live in a so-called civilized world full of bread-and-circuses, computer games, and action movies in which killing and slaughtering is entertainment. This kind of entertainment is the product of deranged minds who went to university, only to create sophisticated digital techniques to dig up the imaginary bloody battles which they performed at the schoolyard, when they were children. It is forbidden to say this, but... a certain kind of people on our planet are forced to show what REAL killing and slaughtering is, as an answer to our so-called civilized world full of digital "clean" virtual barbarism.
WHAT?!?!?!
Think about it. Computer games and action movies (a cascade of shootings and explosions) are the real cause of the degeneration of humanity. The people who create those computer games and action movies are always safe, because it's entertainment. We could ask the question: WHAT kind of entertainment is it? Well... it's sheer DERANGED entertainment. The consequences of this kind of entertainment... a one-way-ticket to the kingdom of utter insanity.

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