Apparently the current new trajectory is a lunar impact one and as it is supposed to be a demonstrator for capability of payload soft landing technologies it is to be hoped further adjustment burns will occur! On a similar note, it appears the not too well publicised Hokuto-R has just made some orbital adjustments which are likely a preparation for a quite soon landing, and it'll be putting down a mini-rover, amongst other things. India is also going back to the Moon soon, if it can manage it this time, and it is not clear what could happen there for various reasons that would violate rules to mention here.ĮDIT if it's the sea of stickystuff it's a good job Nova-C isn't a sample return rocket! Especially if it lands in superglue bay.Įdited by yuzameh, 06 March 2023 - 12:53 PM. So I exaggerate, but there's a big gap between their current practices and their past ones and the reductio ad absurdum ones that could cause names to be given to past political leaders of the modern republic, or other similar subtle but likely to annoy 'hawks' names, then they have the precedent of NASA/JPL completely ignoring the long, long precedent of the name Aureus Mons not only in press releases but also in some papers. If you've ever seen original images from Luna 3 (?), the first probe to image the far side of the Moon, they may have called the best Mare after a rocket pioneer of theirs, if not possibly THE modern science of rockertry pioneer, but you'll also see the Soviet Mountains and the Communism something or other marked, which would not have gone down well in 1959/1960 in the USA.Ĭurrently China seems to have returned to ancient imperial times myths and gods and goddesses, which probably Mao would have not allowed, but if the Chinese started naming this ideologically, like their original rockets were called Long March, or possibly even worse, 'this bit's ours' or 'america sucks' crater, albeit in chinese puns that can be read another way, we'll soon hear some griping. This is ironic, for as far as I can tell this international naming convention thing via IAU was likely a USA idea back in the day, but because of NASA's domination of Solar System probes until very recent times they seem to have gotten complacent and forgot. However, it is not assured to work, after all no matter how they've tried JPL still insists on lamely calling Aureus Mons 'mount sharp'. Indeed, I was just going to mention Nova-C, which is due-ish for landing I believe, but you bet me to it by a month! Possible reason for naming an unnamed feature: A visit. Such features added to the current books: 'Craters of the Near Side Moon' & 'Features of Near Side Moon 2nd Edtition', would require a serious publishing update, so, perhaps, in the near future it might happen.Īnders 1 Earthshine,-11.73,100.47,40.15,

I hope they call the next one Inflammation Bay, you know, Sinus Itis.Īwesome name, need to add it to the lunar observing lists, if only for the name! Maybe a 3rd edition of the lunar features book is needed?īelow, location marker images of some of the most-recent features on both the Near Side and Far Side added to the Lunar Nomenclature by the IAU over the past few years. I mean, bay of rainbows, seething bay, bay of harmony, even rough bay sound like possible names of bays on a traditional sea, but sticky bay? I suppose if it is a bay surrounded by rocky mountainous areas it could have been called sticky rock bay, that sounds seasidey. I take it this naming has been formally by the appropriate IAU nomenclature committee?Īs a name it gets my vote for the advanced lameness award. Viscum also referred to a viscous glue derived from mistletoe berries'.

On the other hand, wikipedia tells me this 'The word 'viscosity' is derived from the Latin viscum ('mistletoe'). Viscosity can mean sticky but I'd more expect it to be called Sinus Adhesivitatis if that was meant. Is 'stickiness' the formal translation? I'd got for Viscous Bay or Treacley Bay or just plain Thick Bay of even Frictiony Bay. No doubt the term viscosity comes from a Latin root. 'Viscositatis' sounds so much like one of those made up pseudo-Latin joke terms like nil carborundum illegitamati. I'd to look at the date and make sure it wasn't April 1st for a second.

Iau sky and telescope