Playfair
Contents
Playfair
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Lat: 23.5°S, Long: 8.4°E, Diam: 47 km, Depth: 3.37 km, Rükl: 56, Nectarian |
Left: LO iv96-h1, Right: Bob Pilz, Playfair is the prominent crater just above center.
Images
LPOD Photo Gallery Lunar Orbiter Images Apollo Images
- Believe it or not, southern crater Playfair was captured on Apollo 16's south-looking oblique Fairchild-metric (mapping) frames of REVOLUTION 26. Of these frames, frame AS16-M-0705 shows Playfair very near the central part of the curved horizon. It could be that something of crater Apianus (south of Playfair) is visible at the central part of the curved horizon, but I'm not sure. - DannyCaes Jul 24, 2015
- It (Playfair) is also noticeable on the frames of REVOLUTION 48. Of these frames, frame AS16-M-2469 shows (just like frame AS16-M-0705) crater Playfair very near the central part of the curved horizon, although there's much less shadow-play, compared to frame 0705.
- Research Apollo 16's orbital photography: Danny Caes
Maps
(LAC zone 95B3) LAC map Geologic map
Description
Description: Elger
(IAU Directions) PLAYFAIR.--A ring-plain, 28 miles in diameter, with massive walls. It is situated on the N. of Apianus, and is connected with it by a mountain arm. The rampart is tolerably continuous, but varies considerably in altitude, rising on the S. to a height of more than 8,000 feet above the interior. On the W., extending towards Blanchinus, is a magnificent unnamed formation, bounded on the W. by a broad lofty rampart flanking Blanchinus, La Caille, Delaunay, and Faye; and on the E. by Playfair and the mountain arm just mentioned. It is fully 60 miles in length from N. to S. Sunrise on this region affords a fine spectacle to the observer with a large telescope. The best phase is when the morning terminator intersects Aliacensis, as at this time the long jagged shadows of the W. wall of Playfair and of the mountain arm are very prominent on the smooth, greyish-blue surface of this immense enclosure.
Description: Wikipedia
Additional Information
Depth data from Kurt Fisher database
- Arthur, 1974: 3.37 km
- Westfall, 2000: 3.37 km
- Viscardy, 1985: 2.91 km
Nomenclature
John Playfair FRSE (March 10, 1748 – July 20, 1819) was a Scottish scientist. Playfair was professor of mathematics and later professor of natural philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. He is perhaps best known for his book Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth (1802), which was a summary of the work of James Hutton. In 1795 Playfair created an alternative formulation of Euclid's parallel postulate called Playfair's axiom.
LPOD Articles
Bibliography
