On March 16, 2018, in honor and remembrance of Dr. B. Ray Hawke, the International Astronomical Union – Planetary Nomenclature Committee approved the name “Hawke” for a lunar impact crater on the Moon. Dr. Hawke was a UH/HIGP lunar researcher from 1978 to his passing on January 24, 2015.

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Hawke Crater — The Moon
IAU-Approved Impact Feature — March 16, 2018
13.2
km
Diameter
66.6°S
 
Latitude
128.7°E
 
Longitude
Position
Just north of the Schrödinger basin
Crater Type
Fresh, rayed crater with impact melt
IAU Approved Befitting Dr. Hawke’s Research Interests

Dr. Hawke’s Contributions to HSGC & UH

  • Lunar researcher at the University of Hawai‘i / Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (UH/HIGP) from 1978 to 2015
  • HSGC Associate Director for Outreach — served tirelessly in support of space grant education and community engagement
  • Established and served as Director of the NASA Pacific Regional Planetary Data Center (PRPDC) at UH Mānoa until his death on January 24, 2015

Further Information

  • USGS Planetary Nomenclature News Release — official IAU naming announcement
  • Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera / Wide Angle Camera (LROC/WAC) image of Hawke crater
  • B. Ray Hawke memorial page hosted at the NASA Pacific Regional Planetary Data Center (PRPDC)
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