Nomenclature

Lunar Nomenclature

History and Documents


The second person who made a map of the Moon used different names than the first person did. Since then there has been a constant struggle to devise and maintain lunar nomenclature systems that are consistent and unambiguous. We collect here many of the basic documents concerning the history of lunar nomenclature. Additionally, on each wiki page we attempt to provide information for each named feature.

IAU Planetary Gazetteer

IAU nomenclature

• Satellite feature
• Minor feature
• Landing site name

Major Maps and Books

Primary References Affecting IAU Nomenclature
1647: Hevelius
1651: Riccioli
1775: Tobias Mayer
1791, 1802: Schröter
1834: Beer and Mädler
1876: Neison
1878: Schmidt
1913: Collated List
1935: Blagg and Müller
1938: Who's Who in the Moon
1960-67: LAC maps
1962-6: System of Lunar Craters
1963: Rectified Lunar Atlas
1970s: LTO maps
1982: NASA RP-1097
1994: Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
2006: USGS Digital Atlas

Other Influential Nomenclature Guides
1895: Elger
1955: Wilkins and Moore
1971: NASA SP-241
1971: Bowker and Hughes
1990 & 2004: Rükl
2004: Clementine Atlas

IAU Names Chronology

Excerpts from Transactions of the IAU

This is a major resource!

A Nomenclature Zoo

Statistics, trivia and odd specimens from the IAU Nomenclature

Nomenclature Lists

Names sorted by country, gender, religion, errors; unofficial and nicknames

Invalid NASA Names

Provisional names on NASA maps that were never adopted by the IAU

Landing Sites

Named features at the landing sites for Lunar missions.

IAU Name Origins

Who named the features, and who they intended to honor

• Names from G.B. Riccioli
• Names from J.H. Schroter
• Names from J.H. Madler
• Names from W.R. Birt and J. Lee
• Names from E.N. Neison
• Names from J.F.J. Schmidt
• Names from J.N. Krieger and R. Konig
• Names from J.H. Franz
• Names from J.P.H. Fauth and E. Debes
• Names from F.C. Lamech
• Names from H.P. Wilkins (and Patrick Moore)
• Names from several other selenographers (short lists)

LPOD Articles

Nomenclature Constellations Nomenclature Zoo One Crater's Nomenclature A Newer New Map Greek Letters Musical Nomenclature NOT the Source of Lunar Nomenclature A Nomenclatural Screwup History of an Eastern Name Lunar Names

Small Spectacular Mee Too! A New/Old Catalog of Lunar Craters Polar Classic Who Named that Crater? Mountains Near the South Pole Where is Alhazen Alpha? Ptolemaic Sunset I Drew a Map so I Get to Add Names! Restoring Bright Names

Bibliography

Whitaker, 1999: Mapping and Naming the Moon
 
 

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