Camelot (crater)

Camelot is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, during EVA 2. Geology Station 5 was along the south rim of Camelot.

Camelot

Location of Camelot crater in Taurus-Littrow Valley. South Massif is at lower left, North Massif is at top center, and Sculptured Hills are at upper right. Scale bar is 5 km
Coordinates	20.19°N 30.73°E / 20.19; 30.73
Diameter	610 m[1]
Eponym	Astronaut-named feature

Camelot is due 700 meters west of the landing site. The smaller Horatio crater is to the southwest, and Victory is to the northwest. Powell and Trident are to the southeast.

The crater was named by the astronauts after the castle Camelot of Arthurian legend.^[2]

Panorama taken by Eugene Cernan from the south rim of Camelot, at Geology Station 5 (part of the "West pan" in the map below")

Planimetric map of station 5

Apollo 17 panoramic camera image

Samples

The following samples were collected from Camelot crater (Station 5), as listed in Table 7-I of the Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report.^[3] The "Rock Type" is from the table, and the "Lithology" is from the Lunar Sample Compendium of the Lunar and Planetary Institute or NASA's Lunar Sample Catalog.

Sample	In Situ Photo	Rock Type	Lithology	Photo
75015		Coarse basalt	Ilmenite Basalt[4]
75035		Medium basalt	Ilmenite Basalt[5]
75055		Coarse basalt	Ilmenite Basalt[6]
75065	-	Medium basalt	High-Ti Mare Basalt[7]	-
75066	-	Dark-gray basalt	Glassy Breccia[8]	-
75075		Medium basalt	Vuggy Ilmenite Basalt[9]
75085	-	Medium basalt	High-Ti Basalt (from soil sample 75080)[10]	-
75086	-	Medium basalt	High-Ti Basalt (from soil sample 75080)[11]	-
75087	-	Medium basalt	High-Ti Basalt (from soil sample 75080)[12]	-
75088	-	Fine basalt	High-Ti Basalt (from soil sample 75080)[13]	-
75089	-	Fine basalt	High-Ti Basalt (from soil sample 75080)[14]	-
75115	-	Fine basalt	High-Ti Basalt	-

References

1. Camelot Archived 2016-12-11 at the Wayback Machine, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
2. The Valley of Taurus-Littrow Archived 2018-05-30 at the Wayback Machine, Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Journal, Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright 1995 by Eric M. Jones
3. Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report (NASA Special Publication 330). Scientific and Technical Information Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. 1973.
4. 75015 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Compendium
5. 75035 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Compendium
6. 75055 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Compendium
7. 75065 Archived 2022-07-09 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Catalog
8. 75066 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Catalog
9. 75075 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Compendium
10. 75085 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Catalog
11. 75085 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Catalog
12. 75085 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Catalog
13. 75085 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Catalog
14. 75085 Archived 2023-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lunar Sample Catalog

External links

• 43D1S2(25) Apollo 17 Traverses at Lunar and Planetary Institute
• Geological Investigation of the Taurus-Littrow Valley: Apollo 17 Landing Site