Irregular Mare Patches (IMPs)

From The Moon
Jump to: navigation, search

Irregular Mare Patches (IMPs)


Online page created by Danny Caes on October the 12th of the year 2014, at 2:22 P.M.

I don't write books, because there isn't enough paper.
Danny C.

LROC article

New Evidence for Young Lunar Volcanism!

Small catalog of IMPs (and clusters of IMPs) on the moon's near side (derived from the LROC article)

  • Aristarchus (A)
  • Aristarchus North. A curious crackled region at LAT: 25.05 / LON: -46.77, at the north-northeastern outer slopes of Aristarchus (see also LROC RDR Product NAC Anaglyph: Ina D-like Feature) (page 79, the 6th item).
  • Cauchy 5, at LAT: 7.12 / LON: 37.6; west of the dome Cauchy Omega with craterlet Donna on top of it.
  • Gruithuisen E-M region (GEM)
  • GEM 30. An unnamed depression northeast of Gruithuisen S contains lots of curious IMPs, of which the largest one is located near the northwestern inner slopes of that depression, at LAT: 37.92 / LON: -45.216.
  • Hyginus (H)
  • Ina at Lacus Felicitatis (I) (the most well-known example of a lunar IMP, already captured on orbital photographs made during Apollo 15 and Apollo 17).
  • Mare Nubium (MN). This is probably the elongated IMP at LAT: -25.7 / LON: -27.66, east-northeast of Campanus A, in an unnamed irregular system of hillocks (probably part of the group known as the Golubiz cluster, an informal name only printed on the Rand McNally moonmap).
  • Mare Tranquillitatis (MT)
  • Marius Hills (MH)
  • Maskelyne (M). This is probably the fried egg shaped IMP at LAT: 4.35 / LON: 33.72, about halfway between Wallach and Maskelyne F.
  • Sosigenes (S) (see: Rimae Sosigenes, the curious unnamed elongated depression in it, at approximately 8°30' North/ 19° East)(a fine target for common telescopes!) (called the SIMP by D.Caes: Sosigenes Irregular Mare Patch).


Independent experimental list of IMPs and fields of IMPs derived from the official "70 items" catalog

A (to be compiled) list by Danny Caes, with some additional info.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the purpose of this independent experimental list is to find out if the pinpoint LAC / LON coordinates from the "70 items" catalog are correct. My own exploration is not intended to launch scientific hypotheses or theories or so, it's only a way to get familiar with extremely small regions on the moon, and how to detect them in the online LROC ACT-REACT QUICK MAP (and most important of all: to try to give these IMPs and clusters of IMPs some sort of nicknames, to make them easy to recognize!). Compare this experimental IMP exploration with the fine hobby of detecting telescopic asterisms and less-known small star clusters in the milky way regions. There's nothing scientific in this sort of explorations, it's only a pastime to get familiar with the wonders of the moon's surface formations and our galaxy's starry conglomerations.
1
Sosigenes (SIMP)
To the east of Sosigenes (at Rimae Sosigenes)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 8.335
LON 19.071

2
Ina caldera
At Lacus Felicitatis (the most well-known one of the IMPs)
L.Felicitatis
LAT 18.650
LON 5.300

3
Cauchy 5
Field of IMPs west of Donna
Tranquillitatis
LAT 7.169
LON 37.592

4
Maskelyne
The (what looks like a) Fried Egg between Wallach and Maskelyne F
Tranquillitatis
LAT 4.330
LON 33.750

5
Nubium
ENE of Campanus A (the most southwestern example of IMPs?) (the most remote too?)
Nubium
LAT -25.724
LON -27.681

6
Ross E 1
SSE of Ross E
Tranquillitatis
LAT 10.460
LON 23.547

7
Maclear 2
SSE of Maclear
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.102
LON 20.298

8
Aristarchus North
NNE of Aristarchus
O.Procellarum
LAT 25.044
LON -46.767

9
Arago 5
Field of IMPs SE of Maclear, to the SW of Ross H
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.230
LON 20.824

10
Unnamed
NNW of Arago
Tranquillitatis
LAT 7.559
LON 20.984

11
Jansen 1
SE of the couple Jansen U (between Jansen U and Jansen T)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 11.669
LON 32.659

12
Unnamed
WSW of Arago E, NNW of Arago D
Tranquillitatis
LAT 8.298
LON 21.600

13
Unnamed
IMP WNW of Jansen G, and another one slightly westward
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.580
LON 25.514

14
Unnamed
NNW of Arago
Tranquillitatis
LAT 7.348
LON 20.897

15
Maclear 1
Fish-shaped IMP (with fish-tail !) WNW of Arago E (string of small IMPs E. of Fish). J.Moore's Whale
Tranquillitatis
LAT 8.891
LON 21.487

16
Unnamed
WNW of Arago E (immediately north of small craterlet and string of small IMPs)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.112
LON 21.758

17
Unnamed
W. of Ross H (between Maclear and Ross H) (nearer to Ross H)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 10.310
LON 21.360

18
Unnamed (Sosigenes)_
Several IMPs on the W. part of the floor of Sosigenes. J.Moore's Squid
Tranquillitatis
LAT 8.670
LON 17.510

19
Unnamed
WNW of Jansen G
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.564
LON 25.392

20
Unnamed
ENE of Jansen G
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.432
LON 26.287

21
Unnamed
Elongated cluster of tiny spots
Imbrium
LAT 21.653
LON -0.865

22
Unnamed
South of Maclear. J.Moore's Claw
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.540
LON 20.220

23
Gem 30
Many small patches in unnamed non-circular crater NE of Gruithuisen S

LAT 37.919
LON -45.221

24
Unnamed
The "T " NNW of Arago D / SW of Arago E
Tranquillitatis
LAT 7.887
LON 21.937

25
Jansen 2
"Spill " from dimple craterlet, WSW of Jansen T
Tranquillitatis
LAT 11.235
LON 32.806

26
Unnamed
IMP just south of a small craterlet (looking like a "spill "), WSW of Maclear
Tranquillitatis
LAT 10.163
LON 19.228

27
Unnamed
Difficult to see, seems to be a cluster of high-albedo spots ESE of Bessarion V
Insularum
LAT 14.440
LON -33.656

28
Gem 1
Cluster of two or perhaps three IMPs north-northwest of Gruithuisen E, north of GEM 4

LAT 38.152
LON -44.6

29
Unnamed
Dome shaped IMP? About halfway between Jansen G and Ross G
Tranquillitatis
LAT 10.045
LON 25.247

30
Manilius 1
"N + S America" shaped depressions, west of Manilius + Manilius's dark halo craterlet
Vaporum
LAT 14.889
LON 6.467

31
Unnamed
Very nearby Maclear, immediately "beyond" the ENE part of its rim
Tranquillitatis
LAT 10.770
LON 20.520

32
Unnamed
2 IMPs south of Maclear (one of the two not completely imaged on the Quick-Map's NAC)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.102
LON 20.265

33
Unnamed
South of Ross G, NAC images on the ACT-REACT QUICK MAP are absent (july 2017)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.894
LON 24.851

34
Unnamed
LON: -40.6289, Elongated (NW-SE) Gruithuisen P
Imbrium
LAT 37.121
LON -40.626

35
Unnamed
In Hyginus Z
Vaporum
LAT 8.279
LON 9.319

36
Carrel 1
Broken Ellipse NW Jansen G
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.817
LON 25.519

37
Manilius 2
West of Manilius + Manilius's dark halo craterlet. IMP in shallow dimple craterlet
Vaporum
LAT 14.628
LON 6.821

38
Unnamed
ENE of Arago E, SSE of small ray-craterlet
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.244
LON 23.924

39
Gem 24
Very small IMPs on floor of incomplete shallow crater NNW of Gruithuisen M

LAT 37.428
LON -43.543

40
Gem 4
Arc-shaped cluster of IMPs north-northwest of Gruithuisen E, south of GEM 1

LAT 38.090
LON -44.584

41
Gem 28
IMP on northern part of a dimple craterlet's rim, NNW of Gruithuisen M

LAT 37.304
LON -43.628

42
Unnamed
NW Arago C (in southern extension of P.Leonardi's Arcuate Fractures)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 4.096
LON 21.218

43
Gem 3
IMP with half-submerged craterlet and "central hillock" ? (NNW of Gruithuisen E)

LAT 38.115
LON -44.677

44
Unnamed
WNW Arago E (east-west strip of small IMPs)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 8.844
LON 21.762

45
Unnamed
Along Rima Bode II, west of the officially unnamed vent
S.Aestuum
LAT 13.131
LON -4.361

46
Hyginus
On the floor of Hyginus, several IMPs
Vaporum
LAT 7.726
LON 6.350

47
Unnamed
ESE Donna
Tranquillitatis
LAT 7.083
LON 38.574

48
Unnamed
Northern part of small shallow crater
Tranquillitatis
LAT 8.714
LON 19.383

49
Unnamed
SE Ross G, NW Jansen G
Tranquillitatis
LAT 10.101
LON 25.278

50
Unnamed
Cluster of small IMPs
S.Aestuum
LAT 12.931
LON -3.806

51
Unnamed
ESE Bessarion V, at the eastern rim of a small crater
Insularum
LAT 14.597
LON -33.979

52
Gem 21
IMPs in some sort of "Cassini " lookalike crater north of Gruithuisen E

LAT 37.882
LON -44.288

53
Gem 32
In unnamed non-circle shaped crater NE of Gruithuisen S, along with many more IMPs

LAT 37.826
LON -45.129

54
Gem 7
Somewhat snake or worm shaped IMP north-northeast of Gruithuisen E

LAT 38.058
LON -44.073

55
Unnamed
Within the SW part of Lamont's floor, peculiar ghost crater with IMP abundance
Tranquillitatis
LAT 4.550
LON 22.882

56
Unnamed
Field of small IMPs WSW of Taruntius F, ESE of Menzel (about halfway of these two)
Tranquillitatis
LAT 2.934
LON 38.975

57
Gem 11
Immediately east of the "Cassini " lookalike crater north of Gruithuisen E

LAT 37.941
LON -44.218

58
Unnamed
Many small IMPs ENE of Lubbock H, SSW of Secchi X (on the rim of dimple craterlet)
Fecunditatis
LAT -2.008
LON 43.333

59
Gem 31
East-northeast of the "Cassini " lookalike crater north of Gruithuisen E

LAT 38.018
LON -44.113

60
Unnamed
Very small IMPs northwest of Arago E
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.012
LON 22.248

61
Unnamed
Small IMPs southeast of Ross H, north-northwest of Arago E
Tranquillitatis
LAT 9.738
LON 22.320

62
Unnamed
Small IMP east-northeast of Lubbock H, south of Secchi X
Fecunditatis
LAT -2.113
LON 43.512

63
Unnamed
Prinz 1, NNE of Prinz, east of Ivan, immediately west of the LTO's Rima Handel
O.Procellarum
LAT 26.786
LON -42.959

64
Unnamed
East-southeast of Bessarion V
Insularum
LAT 14.468
LON -33.729

65
Gem 35
According to the LAC / LON coordinates this should be the eastern part of the rim of the small crater several kilometers NNW of Gruithuisen G

LAT 36.937
LON -44.121

66
Gem 29


LAT 37.904
LON -45.08

67
Gem 26


LAT 37.417
LON -43.577

68
Gem 17


LAT 37.974
LON -44.285

69
Gem 12


LAT 37.995
LON -44.159

70_
Gem 6


LAT 37.864
LON -44.478


Independently discovered IMPs (or possible IMPs and kipuka-like formations), by Danny Caes

It could be that these IMPs (or possible IMPs and kipuka-like formations) are already discovered and mentioned in the general list of 70 IMPs which was published in scientific literature. Anyway, for me it is a fine pastime to try to discover them on my own (and perhaps... previously undetected ones too!). The exploration of the online LROC's ACT-REACT Quick Map (to detect IMPs and possible kipuka formations) started on monday-evening the 13th of October 2014. See list below:

The Al-Bakri sector in Mare Tranquillitatis (independently discovered IMPs, not mentioned in the list of 70)
  • Al-Bakri 1: south-southwest of Al-Bakri (about halfway between Al-Bakri and the elongated hill unofficially known as the Seagull by the folks of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Moon), at LAT: 13.95 / LON: 20.05 (2 examples, a large and a small one, the large one of the two has a length of about 600 meters). http://bit.ly/12Zvw7c
  • Al-Bakri 2: north-northwest of Al-Bakri, at LAT: 14.6680 / LON: 20.0460 (diameter about 200 meters).http://bit.ly/ZVzg7P


The Arago sector in Mare Tranquillitatis

  • North-northwest of Arago, at LAT: 7.56 / LON: 20.979 (and a cluster of very small ones to the northeast of it).
  • Also north-northwest of Arago, at LAT: 7.35 / LON: 20.896 (and a very tiny one immediately northwest of it).
  • West-southwest of Arago E, at LAT: 8.3 / LON: 21.6
  • Southwest of Arago E, north-northwest of Arago D (a T-shaped one), at LAT: 7.89 / LON: 21.93 (the base of the "T" is pointing westward).


The Bessarion sector in the most northern part of Mare Insularum
Note:
The region east of Bessarion V is crowded by a high number of very small IMPs, scattered all over! This crowded IMP field needs its own catalog! This field seems to have an unnamed crater at LAT: 14.6 / LON: -34 as its "centre". - DannyCaes Oct 21, 2014

  • East-southeast of Bessarion V, at the eastern part of a small unnamed crater's rim (LAT: 14.6 / LON: -33.98). This is probably number 51 in the list of 70.
  • East of Bessarion V, at LAT 14.92 / LON -33.7 (the rim of a very shallow depression, diameter about 700 meters). http://bit.ly/2p146bW
  • East of Bessarion V, at LAT 14.84 / LON -33.885 (the rim of a very shallow craterlet, diameter about 600 meters).
  • East-southeast of Bessarion V, at LAT 14.27 / LON -33.57 (several small IMPs in a small dimple craterlet, diameter about 500 meters).
  • East-southeast of Bessarion V, at LAT 14.56 / LON -33.86 (small field of very small IMPs, diameter of field uncertain, something to explore at extreme close-up!).


The Gruithuisen G and M (GEM) sector (derived from the list of 70)

  • GEM 1: LAT 38.152 / LON 315.400
  • GEM 2: ?
  • GEM 3: LAT 38.115 / LON 315.323
  • GEM 4: LAT 38.090 / LON 315.416
  • GEM 5: ?
  • GEM 6: LAT 37.864 / LON 315.522
  • GEM 7: LAT 38.058 / LON 315.927
  • GEM 8: ?
  • GEM 9: ?
  • GEM 10: ?
  • GEM 11: LAT 37.941 / LON 315.782
  • GEM 12: LAT 37.995 / LON 315.841
  • GEM 13: ?
  • GEM 14: ?
  • GEM 15: ?
  • GEM 16: ?
  • GEM 17: LAT 37.974 / LON 315.715
  • GEM 18: ?
  • GEM 19: ?
  • GEM 20: ?
  • GEM 21: LAT 37.882 / LON 315.712
  • GEM 22: ?
  • GEM 23: ?
  • GEM 24: LAT 37.428 / LON 316.457
  • GEM 25: ?
  • GEM 26: LAT 37.417 / LON 316.423
  • GEM 27: ?
  • GEM 28: LAT 37.304 / LON 316.372
  • GEM 29: LAT 37.904 / LON 314.920
  • GEM 30: LAT 37.919 / LON 314.779
  • GEM 31: LAT 38.018 / LON 315.887
  • GEM 32: LAT 37.826 / LON 314.871
  • GEM 33: ?
  • GEM 34: ?
  • GEM 35: LAT 36.937 / LON 315.879


The Jansen sector in Mare Tranquillitatis

  • Southeast of Jansen U, at LAT: 11.67 / LON: 32.66 (note: what I see on the NAC image looks like a "spill" of a high-albedo "fluid" on the floor of a small shallow depression).
  • East-northeast of Jansen G, at LAT: 9.43 / LON: 26.29 (a typical "Ina"-like IMP, diameter about 400 meters).


The Lamont sector in Mare Tranquillitatis

  • The more-or-less circle shaped central part of the wrinkle ridge system which is officially known as Lamont contains a unique ring-shaped abundance of Irregular Mare Patches (IMPs). Research: John Moore.
    See lower part of the page Ghost Craters.


The Maclear sector in Mare Tranquillitatis

  • West-southwest of Maclear, at the southern outskirts of a small unnamed craterlet (diam: about 800 meters) at LAT: 10.19 / LON: 19.23
  • South-southeast of Maclear, at LAT: 9.06 / LON: 20.37 (diam: about 1 km, with small ones west of it).
  • South of Maclear, at LAT: 9.54 / LON: 20.25 (cluster of three in a row, arranged in a west-northwest / east-southeast orientation).
  • East of Maclear, at LAT: 10.60 / LON: 20.94 (a snake shaped one).
  • East of Maclear, at LAT: 10.604 / LON: 20.9 (a small one, diameter about 100 meters).
  • South-southeast of Maclear, at LAT: 9.283 / LON: 20.766 (this is only one member of a group of about four).


The Manilius sector in Mare Vaporum

  • Manilius 1 (number 30 in the catalog of 70 IMPs) is detectable at LAT 14.889 / LON 6.467 http://bit.ly/ZVy18O
  • Manilius 2 (number 37) is detectable at LAT 14.628 / LON 6.821
  • Warning: both Manilius 1 and 2 are very small formations. The diameter of Manilius 1 is 270 meters, Manilius 2 is 200 meters.


The Prinz sector in Oceanus Procellarum (an independently discovered cluster of very small IMPs, not mentioned in the list of 70, or perhaps as number 63)

  • Prinz 1, at LAT 26.79 / LON -42.96 (east of Ivan, immediately west of Rima Handel)(northwest of its bowl-shaped "source").


The Puiseux D sector in Mare Humorum (an independently discovered small cluster of curious depressions, perhaps IMP related?)


The Ross sector in Mare Tranquillitatis

  • South-southeast of Ross E, at LAT: 10.46 / LON: 23.59 (a somewhat curved one, with small ones nearby).


Additional notes

  • I seem to remember some Hi-Res Lunar Orbiter and/or Apollo photographs of rare IMP-like surface formations, printed in Peter Schultz's splendid book Moon Morphology, and described by him as kipuka. - DannyCaes Oct 13, 2014
  • WARNING: these IMPs should not be confused with the (what I call) white spots on the uppermost parts of wrinkle ridges. These white spots are composed of small fields of boulders and rocks, and look deceptively IMP-like on high-resolution NACs made during local noon circumstances (high sun, no shadows, the odd appearances of peculiar chains full of strange white spots). - DannyCaes Oct 26, 2014


LPOD articles

Turning Understanding on its Head (the Sosigenes ISP)