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Geologic map of the Wichmann CA region of the Moon, Lunar Orbiter Site III P-11, Oceanus Procellarum including Apollo landing sites 4 and 4R

August 9, 2023

This map shows the geology in and around two potential early Apollo landing sites in the equatorial belt. The Wichmann CA region is in the Oceanus Procellarum, south of the equator, approximately 320 km south of the crater Kepler. It is covered by mare material with numerous ridges, low domes, craters, and crater clusters. Relatively few of the craters are larger than 200 m across. Terra material is absent.

The relative freshness of the low domes and prominent mare ridges suggest that the mare material here is relatively young. On an earlier, small-scale reconnaissance geologic map of the Letronne region (Marshall, 1963), mare material in the Wichmann CA region was mapped as Imbrian; but Orbiter photographs show that the oldest craters on the surface are relatively young Eratosthenian craters and mare material is now believed to be Eratosthenian.

Publication Year 2023
Title Geologic map of the Wichmann CA region of the Moon, Lunar Orbiter Site III P-11, Oceanus Procellarum including Apollo landing sites 4 and 4R
DOI 10.5066/P9H591A9
Authors David Cummings
Product Type Data Release
Record Source USGS Digital Object Identifier Catalog
USGS Organization Astrogeology Science Center