Different
parts of the moon have been named so that different parts of the moon can be
better identified and studied. This naming of the moon has been done in several
thousand craters also. The International Astronomical Union or IAU has taken
the responsibility of naming all these.
The
beginning of the naming of craters after the name of Indians has been started
since 1970, 11 craters have been named after Indians out of which 9 craters
have been named after 9 famous Indian personalities and rest of 2 craters have
been named after two common names in Indian society. The
southern hemisphere and the western hemisphere have the most Indian-named
craters. Today we will take a brief look at the craters named after the Indians
and the famous people associated with the name of the craters
1. Aryabhatta
Crater:
This crater was named in 1979 and is located at 6.2 degree south latitude and 35.17 degree west longitude. The area was formerly known as the Eastern Murray Tranquilitis and the crater was called the Mascaline-E. Only the arched-shaped part is visible from the outside, meaning that only a small part of the main crater, created by the cosmic collision, is now visible. The diameter of this ditch is 21.89 km.
Aryabhata (48-550) was one of the most famous mathematicians and astronomers of ancient India. He taught the decimal number system and the use of zeros not only to India but to the whole world. He also did many important things, such as the introduction of modern trigonometry, the general method of solving equations with multiple unknown numbers in algebra, and the determination of the value of Pi (π). Aryabhata was the first person to determine the exact circumference as well as the orbital velocity of the earth, determine the shape of the orbits of the planets and to show the actual explanation of lunar eclipses and solar eclipses.
2. Bhabha Crater:
Named in 1970, it has a diameter of 70.25 km and is located at 55.5 degree south latitude and 165.31 degree west longitude. It is a new nature shaft with several peaks in the central part.
3. Bose
Crater:
This crater is the
third largest of all the craters named after Indians till date. Named in 1970,
it has a diameter of 92.55 km and is located in the southern hemisphere at
53.95 degree and in the western hemisphere at 169.36 degree. This dent is
located on the north-west side of Bhaba crater. Along the boundary of this
crater and inside the crater there are some more very small craters. A small
peak has been found to the south-east of the center of the ditch.
Jagadish Chandra Bose
(30.11.1858-23.11.1937) was one of the brightest science devotees of India. He
was simultaneously a physicist, zoologist and botanist. The International
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers called him the 'Father of
Radio Science'. He was the first to create microwave with a wavelength of 5 mm,
which today plays an important role in radar, television broadcasting, and
space communication. He did extensive research on Plant Physiology. He invented
the Crescograph, an instrument used to determine the excitability of the plant
body, and carried out important research on plant cells and plant life.
Jagadish Chandra Bose established the Bose Institute in Kolkata for science
research.
4. Chawla
Crater:
At the 42.48 degree
south latitude and 147.49 degree west latitude of the moon this crater is
located with diameter of 14.25 km. This crater was named in 2006. Notably, the
seven dents of the moon have been named in memory of the seven astronauts who
died in crash
of the U.S. spacecraft Columbia on the 1st day of February 2003.
Kalpana Chawla
(17.03.1962-01.02.2003) was an American astronaut of Indian descent. She became
the first Indian woman to go into space on November 19, 1997, after starting
her career at the US Space Research Organization in 1988. After the second
spaceflight, the spacecraft Colombia crashed on 1st February 2003, during
return to Earth, and seven astronauts, along with Kalpana Chawla, died
prematurely.
5. Das
Crater:
This crater was named
in 1970 with a diameter of 35.95 km. The crater is located at 26.49 degree south
latitude and 137.05 degree west longitude. The edges of this ditch are sharply
formed.
Anil Kumar Das (01.02.1902-18.02.1961) was an astronomer who did extensive research on the solar spot and the chromosphere. Anil Kumar Das was in charge of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory in the Deccan when the Sun was studied in three parts of the world in the late 1950s. With his tireless cooperation, this research center was greatly improved.
6. Mitra
Crater:
This crater is the
second largest of all the craters named after Indians on the moon. The 97.1 km
diameter dents was named in 1970 and is located at 17.76 degrees north latitude
and 154.65 degrees west longitude. Multiple small craters are present inside
this shaft.
Shishir Kumar Mitra
(24.10.1890-19.08.1963) was a deserving student of famous scientist C. V.
Raman. He was a leading scientist in radio science in India. It was he who
initiated the more extensive study of radio waves in India. With his sincere
cooperation, the Department of Radio Physics and Electronics was established at
Calcutta University.
7. Raman
Crater:
Named in 1976, this
crater has a diameter of 10.17 km. The crater is located at 26.96 degree north
latitude and 55.18 degree west longitude. This is an oblong type of shaft. To
the north-east of this dent, there is a mountain peak called Mons Herodotus and
formerly this shaft was known as Herodotus-D.
Chandrashekhara Venkata
Raman is a Nobel Prize winning scientist (07.11.1888-21.11.1970) who was one of
the brightest personalities of the Indian scientific community. He did
extensive research on light. He was the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1930 for his discovery of the phenomenon of light scattering under
the name of Raman scattering.
8. Saha
Crater:
This crater is the
largest of all the dents named after the Indian name on the lunar surface.
Named in 1970, the crater has a diameter of 103.34 km. This shaft is very close
to the equator of the moon. The crater is located 1.69 degree south in latitude
and 103.04 degree east longitude. Other cosmic collisions have caused the
crater to be somewhat destroyed.
Meghnad Saha
(06.10.1893-16.02.1956) was a theoretical physicist and astronomer. He did
extensive research on the effect of ions on high temperature and its effect on
the atmosphere of stars. He also did extensive research on heat-radiation,
atomic science, thermal dynamics, spectral science, and ionosphere. One of his
contributions was to provide the 'Saha Ionic Equation' for gas atoms. Meghnad Saha
also reformed the calendar; the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) was his brainchild.
He was elected as the Member of Parliament in 1952 as an independent candidate.
9. Sarabhai
Crater:
This crater is the
third smallest dent in terms of size among the lunar surface shaft named after
the Indians. This shaft looks a lot like a bowl. The crater was named in 1973
with a diameter of 7.38 km. The dent is located at 24.75 degree north latitude
and 21 degree east longitude. The former name of this ditch was Bassel-A.
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai
(12.08.1919-30.12.1971) is said to be the 'Father of Indian Space Exploration'.
Not only was the man an astronomer, he also played a leading role in
establishing institutions in various fields across India, most notably the
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Variable Energy Cyclotron Project,
Kolkata, Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Hyderabad, Uranium
Corporation of India Limited, Jadugoda etc. Though India's first artificial
satellite project, Aryabhata, was started under Vikram Sarabhai, he could not
see the launch and operation of that satellite in 1975.
10.Ravi Crater:
Alphonsus is an
ancient cosmic collision crater with a diameter of 119 km in the southern
hemisphere of the lunar surface. One of the five small ditches in the northeast
of that ditch was named Ravi in 1976. The shaft is named after a common name in
Indian society. It is the second smallest dent, named after Indian, on the
lunar surface with the diameter of 1.62 km. The ditch is located at 12.5 degree
south latitude and 1.97 degree west longitude.
11. Sita Crater:
King is a 76 km
diameter crater located in the northern hemisphere of the lunar surface. This small
shaft is located on the southeastern wall of the crater. This dent was named
Sita in 1976. This crater has been named after a well-known name in Indian
society, similar to the Ravi crater. It is the smallest of all craters, named
after Indians, with the diameter of 1.59 km on the lunar surface. The dent is
located at 4.61 degree north latitude and 120.7 degree east longitude.
Apart from this, a few more names have been heard which have been used to name the lunar craters. But it has all been privately initiated and so far no official recognition of all these naming has been received. So there is no discussion here about those shafts and the Indian people associated with their naming. But hopefully in the near future we may get a few more names on this list. There is no doubt that the naming of lunar shafts not only represent any particular region but also it provides international recognition and respect to Indian talent through this naming, and this is a matter of great pride for every Indian.
DECLARATION:
All The Images Have Been Sourced From Google.
