An Impact Feature Marking a Sharp Turn in Hadley Rille

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

landing

Coordinates

26.03° N · 3.60° E

Diameter

0.34 km

IAU approval

1973/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-41 · Montes Apenninus

Geological Period

Copernican

Geological Chronicle

Elbow crater is an impact feature located in the Hadley–Apennine region of the Moon at a sharp bend in Hadley Rille. Measuring 0.34 kilometers in diameter, the crater formed during the Copernican period near the junction where the mare surface meets the Apennine Front, approximately 3.2 kilometers southwest of the Apollo 15 landing site.

During the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, astronauts David Scott and James Irwin visited the east rim of Elbow during their first extravehicular activity. The site was designated as Geology Station 1 of the mission, where fine-grained soil and rock fragments were observed on the ejecta blanket.

The crater was named by the astronauts after its position at a bend in Hadley Rille. The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the name in 1973, recording the astronaut-given designation in official lunar nomenclature.

Chronology & Exploration

1. 1971 Apollo 15 Exploration

   Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin visited the east rim of Elbow crater during EVA 1, establishing Geology Station 1.

2. 1973 IAU Name Adoption

   The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the name Elbow for the crater at the bend in Hadley Rille.

Scientific Sources & References

• IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature — Official designation and coordinate reference.
• Wikipedia: Elbow (lunar crater) — Source text for crater geology and Apollo 15 Station 1 activities.

Name Origin

Astronaut-named feature, Apollo 15 site.