Cavalerius (crater)

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Cavalerius area with DVF postprocess Aldo Ferruggia - Hevelius-Reiner.jpg
Cavalerius area with DVF postprocess
Cavalerius
Cavelerius crater 4162 h1 4169 h1.jpg
Mosaic of Lunar Orbiter 4 images
Coordinates 5°06′N66°48′W / 5.1°N 66.8°W / 5.1; -66.8 Coordinates: 5°06′N66°48′W / 5.1°N 66.8°W / 5.1; -66.8
Diameter 58 km
Depth 3.0 km
Colongitude 67° at sunrise
Eponym Buonaventura Cavalieri
Planitia Descensus, northeast of Cavalerius. Secondary craters of Cavalerius are abundant in the foreground. Planitia Descensus 3214 med.jpg
Planitia Descensus, northeast of Cavalerius. Secondary craters of Cavalerius are abundant in the foreground.

Cavalerius is a prominent lunar impact crater that lies on the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum lunar mare on the west part of the visible Moon. It nearly joins the northern rim of Hevelius to the south.

The rim of Cavalerius is relatively high, rising to over 3 kilometers in places. There are clefts in the northern and southern parts of the rim and inner walls. Parts of the inner sides are terraced. The interior floor has mixed low hills and level areas. In the midpoint of the crater floor is a low central peak, with neighboring ridges to the north and east.

Northeast of this crater is the site designated Planitia Descensus, the landing site of the Soviet Luna 9 probe, the first vehicle to soft-land on the Moon. It lies among some low ridges along the edge of the Oceanus Procellarum.

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Cavalerius.

CavaleriusLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A4.5° N69.5° W14 km
B6.0° N71.0° W39 km
C5.8° N69.2° W8 km
D8.6° N68.3° W52 km
E7.7° N69.9° W9 km
F8.1° N65.3° W7 km
K10.3° N69.2° W10 km
L10.4° N70.2° W10 km
M10.3° N71.5° W12 km
U10.1° N67.4° W7 km
W6.9° N67.3° W7 km
X9.2° N66.6° W4 km
Y10.7° N69.8° W7 km
Z11.0° N69.5° W4 km

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