Flag (crater)


Flag crater is a small crater in the Descartes Highlands of the Moon visited by the astronauts of Apollo 16. The name of the crater was formally adopted by the IAU in 1973. Geology Station 1 is adjacent to Flag, at the much smaller Plum crater.
On April 21, 1972, the Apollo 16 Apollo Lunar Module Orion landed about 1.5 km east of Flag, which is between the prominent North Ray and South Ray craters. The astronauts John Young and Charles Duke explored the area over the course of three EVAs using a Lunar Roving Vehicle, or rover. They drove to Flag on EVA 1.
, is just above the right end of Young's shadow.
stations.
Flag crater is approximately 240 m in diameter and over 20 m deep. The adjacent crater Plum is only about 30 m in diameter. The slightly larger crater Spook, also visited by the astronauts, lies less than 1 km to the east.
Flag cuts into the Cayley Formation of Imbrian age.

Samples

The following samples were collected from the vicinity of Plum and Flag crater, as listed in Table 6-II of the Apollo 16 Preliminary Science Report, which does not include samples smaller than 25 g weight. Sample type, lithology, and descriptions are from the Lunar Sample Atlas of the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
SampleSample TypeLithologyPhotoDescription
61015rockbrecciacoated with black glass on one side and is thought to be ejecta from
South Ray crater
61016rockimpact melt brecciaknown as Big Muley; named after Bill Muehlberger,
the leader of the Apollo 16 field geology team
61135rockregolith brecciaan ancient regolith breccia that became a closed system
about 3.9 b.y. ago; and has a few zap pits
61155rakebrecciaclast-rich "glassy impact melt"; has abundant white clasts,
thin glass veins and glassy mesostasis
61156rockimpact melt brecciaTough, medium gray, poikilitic impact melt
that has been thermally metamorphosed
61175rockfragmental brecciaContains a high percentage of glass, with some agglutinate.
It also contains a small, but significant, mare component
61195rockbrecciacoherent, medium grey breccia with a glassy matrix and abundant clasts;
zap pits are surrounded with wide spall zones
61295rockbrecciafriable light matrix breccia with both light and dark clasts;
rounded and has many zap pits
61536rakebrecciacontains a large white clast held within a glass matrix,
and has a thin glass coating on surface
61546rakebrecciavesicular chunk of glass with numerous small white clasts
and micrometeorite craters on one side only