Cirque hipparque — Wikipedia

The cirque Hipparque or Hipparchus crater is the degraded vestige of an old lunar crater. Named in 1651 by Giovanni Battista Riccioli in honor of Hipparque, the Greek astronomer and mathematician, he is located southeast of Sinus Medii, near the central meridian of the visible face of the moon. To the south is the prominent albategnius crater, and to the southwest extends the ptolemaeus crater, of a size comparable to the Hippark circus. Horrocks crater (in) extends over the entire northeast ridge. Halley crater (in) is connected to the southern crest, and the Hind Crater (in) extends to the southeast. North-north-east is the pickering crater (in) and the crater crater (in) is at the northeast ridge. The reaumur crater is visible to the southeast.

The circus is a prenecotarian crater which has been the subject of considerable modifications due to subsequent impacts. The western crest of the Hippark Cirque was used by erosion, and now, only a few low hills and ribs remain visible testifying to its presence. The wall to the east is a little more preserved, but it is also very eroded. Two deep flaws cross the western wall, they run parallel through the mountainous regions south of the center of the moon.

The soil of the crater was partially re-applied by a rise in basalt lava. However, the southwest part of the ground is slightly high and more irregular than the rest. Some partially high ribs and ridges are all that remains of the Massif Central.

Faults on the northwest crest of the Hippark circus form valleys connected to the maria from the northwest. A channel, a “rille”, named RIMA Realaumur short of the crater on the external wall of the reaumur crater.

This circus, nested plain covered with ejectas from the imbalance pond, is envisaged by NASA until November 1969 as one of the sites to deposit two astronauts ^{[ first ]} .

By convention, these training courses are identified on the lunar cards by placing the letter on the side of the median point of the crater which is closest to the Hipparque circus.

It is north of the Hipparchus X ghost crater, in the center of the Hippark Cirque ^{[ 2 ]} , that the lunar rocket of Tintin arises in June 1953 in the French -speaking version ^{[ 3 ]} comic strip We walked on the moon . The preparation of the landing gives the opportunity to Captain Haddock and the Dupondt to have a famous exchange:

“”
Sunflower: Yes, gentlemen, in a good half hour, if all is well, our rocket will land on the moon floor, at the place I chose: the Hippark Cirque …
[…]
Dupond: The circus of the park? … Here, is that amazing! It has been a long time since we were at the circus, not a real Dupont?
Dupont: Yes, chic … but I didn’t know there was a circus on the Moon! … You knew, you, captain?
Haddock: If I knew it?… Of course. Everyone knows that! … I even learned that they needed two clowns … you would do the trick!
[…]
Dupond: Ah! No, no and no!… It won’t go like this!
Sunflower: In the name of heaven, what is it? …
Dupond: There is … there is that this individual insulted us and that we demand excuses! …
Haddock: I insulted you? … me? …
[…]
Dupont: Very fair! … This individual apologized, we demand insults!
Dupond: But no, big clever! … It’s the opposite! …
Dupont: Ah? … I … indeed … we insulted this individual, we owe him excuses! …
Haddock: Well! Either ! I remove what I said! … The Hippark Cirque does not need two clowns: so you can’t do the trick! … Are you satisfied? …
Dupond: We are satisfied …
Dupont: I will even say more: we are ^{[ 4 ]} ! …
[…]
Sunflower: Gentlemen, I beg you, calm! … Will the first men who will disembark on the Moon start by bringing discord? … ”

– Hergé, We walked on the moon

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• (in) Lunar Photo Of the Day (in) Chuck Wood , ‘ A Hole in the Middle » , Lunar Photo of the Day, October 17, 2006 (consulted the October 17, 2006 )

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