Prinz
lunar crater
Quick Summary
Prinz, buried Moon crater, 1971
Sinuous rilles near the ancient, mostly buried crater Prinz on the Moon, in an image taken by Apollo 15 astronauts in 1971. Such features are believed to be similar to channels cut by lava flows on Earth, although their meandering shapes suggest that the lava was much thinner than that presently known on Earth. The most conspicuous rille in the image, Rima Prinz, appears to originate from a small volcanic crater (upper center) on the rim of the crater Prinz; it trends westward (right) under the crater rim before turning northward (down).
The crater Prinz is a lunar feature located in the Oceanus Procellarum region of the Moon. It is partially submerged by lava flows from a later volcanic event. While its rim is still partly visible, the crater itself is an example of an older, more subdued lunar crater, a result of continuous bombardment. Prinz is situated on an elevated, older surface, indicating it predates the surrounding lava plains.1
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