Coordinates | 34°12′S13°18′E / 34.2°S 13.3°E |
---|---|
Diameter | 88 km |
Depth | 4.7 km |
Colongitude | 347° at sunrise |
Eponym | Gemma Frisius |
Gemma Frisius is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. It was named after Dutch physician Gemma Frisius. [1] It lies to the north of the walled plain Maurolycus, and southeast of the smaller crater Poisson. The crater Goodacre is attached to the northeast rim.
The outer wall of this crater has been heavily damaged by impacts, particularly along the north and west sides. The smaller satellite craters D, G, and H are attached to this damaged crater. As some observers have noted, this crater formation bears a certain resemblance to a paw print with these craters forming three of the toes and the crater Goodacre the fourth.
The southeastern rim of the crater is also worn, and the inner wall has slumped nearly a third of the distance across the interior floor. The remainder of the floor is relatively level and deep, with a central peak that is offset to the northwest of the midpoint.
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Gemma Frisius.
Gemma Frisius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
A | 35.8° S | 15.2° E | 68 km |
B | 35.5° S | 17.1° E | 41 km |
C | 35.6° S | 18.8° E | 35 km |
D | 34.3° S | 10.9° E | 28 km |
E | 37.2° S | 12.8° E | 19 km |
F | 35.8° S | 10.3° E | 9 km |
G | 33.2° S | 11.4° E | 37 km |
H | 32.4° S | 12.2° E | 28 km |
J | 35.1° S | 18.1° E | 12 km |
K | 37.4° S | 11.0° E | 10 km |
L | 34.8° S | 11.8° E | 6 km |
M | 34.3° S | 12.5° E | 5 km |
O | 32.5° S | 12.9° E | 6 km |
P | 31.8° S | 12.8° E | 4 km |
Q | 35.8° S | 14.8° E | 9 km |
R | 37.1° S | 15.3° E | 5 km |
S | 35.2° S | 15.1° E | 6 km |
T | 34.9° S | 16.4° E | 8 km |
U | 34.5° S | 16.8° E | 8 km |
W | 36.9° S | 13.3° E | 15 km |
X | 34.7° S | 15.8° E | 15 km |
Y | 37.4° S | 13.5° E | 28 km |
Z | 35.1° S | 9.6° E | 10 km |
Bayer is a lunar impact crater located in the southwest section of the moon, to the east of the crater Schiller. The rim of Bayer is slightly worn by erosion, but remains well-defined. There is an inner terrace, but the outer wall is intruded upon by nearby impacts. The most significant of these is Schiller H, which forms a ridge attached to the northwest rim of Bayer. The floor of Bayer is relatively flat and lacks a central peak. There is a small, but notable crater on the floor near the western wall. This crater has a breach in its northern rim.
Maurolycus is one of the more prominent lunar impact craters in the southern highland region of the Moon that is covered in overlapping crater impacts. It was named after 16th century Italian mathematician Francesco Maurolico. It is joined at the southeast rim by the smaller crater Barocius. Due west lie the overlapping pair of Stöfler and Faraday. To the northeast is the faint crater Buch, and further to the north lies Gemma Frisius.
Biela is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged highlands of the southeastern Moon. It is named after Austrian astronomer Wilhelm von Biela. The crater lies to the east of Rosenberger, to the southeast of the Watt–Steinheil double crater.
Birkeland is a lunar impact crater that lies in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. This crater is attached to the central waist of the oddly shaped Van de Graaff crater formation, and may partly account for that crater's figure-8 shape. To the southeast is the large walled plain Leibnitz.
Poisson is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It was named after French mathematician Siméon Denis Poisson. It lies to the east of the crater Aliacensis and northwest of Gemma Frisius. To the northwest of Poisson is Apianus.
Hecataeus is a large lunar impact crater that lies near the eastern limb of the Moon. It is attached to the northern rim of the walled plain Humboldt. To the northeast is the smaller crater Gibbs. East of Hecataeus is a chain of small craters forming a line radial to Humboldt; these are designated the Catena Humboldt, named after the walled plain.
Clairaut is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It lies directly to the south of the crater Maurolycus and southeast of Barocius. Just to the southwest is Cuvier.
Cajori is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the walled plain Von Kármán, and to the east-southeast of the crater Chrétien.
Chapman is a lunar impact crater that lies just beyond the northwest rim of the Moon, on the far side as seen from the Earth. It lies to the northeast of the crater Rynin, and southward of the large walled plain Poczobutt.
Dyson is a lunar impact crater, 63 kilometers in diameter, that lies on the far side of the Moon, past the northwest limb. It is located in the northern part of the surface, to the northwest of the crater Coulomb, and east of van't Hoff.
Curie is a large lunar impact crater, much of which lies on the far side of the Moon as seen from the Earth. The western rim projects into the near side of the Moon, as defined by the selenographic coordinate system. However the visibility of this formation depends on the effects of libration, so that it can be brought fully into view or completely hidden depending on the orientation of the Moon. When visible, however, it is seen nearly from the side, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed.
Chandler is a lunar impact crater in the northern hemisphere, on the Moon's far side. It lies to the southeast of the large walled plain D'Alembert, and southeast of the slightly smaller Chernyshev crater.
Comstock is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the northeast of the walled plain Fersman, and north of the crater Weyl.
Faye is a heavily eroded lunar impact crater in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. It is named after French astronomer Hervé Faye. It is attached to the northeastern rim of the crater Delaunay, with Donati located just a few kilometers to the northeast. It forms part of a chain of craters of increasing size to the southwest that continues with La Caille and ends with the walled plain Purbach.
Goodacre is a lunar impact crater. It is located in the rugged southern highlands on the Moon's near side, and is attached to the north-northeastern part of the exterior of Gemma Frisius, a heavily worn and much larger formation. About two crater diameters to the north of Goodacre lies Pontanus.
Donner is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located just to the northeast of the Mare Australe, behind the southeastern limb of the Moon. During favorable librations this part of the lunar surface can be brought into view of the Earth, but the site is viewed from the edge and so not much detail can be seen.
Edison is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located just behind the north-northeastern limb of the Moon, a region that is sometimes brought into sight from Earth during favorable librations. However even at such times not much detail can be discerned, and the crater is better observed by orbiting spacecraft.
Emden is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It is named after Jacob Robert Emden (1862-1940).
Finsen is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere, on the Moon's far side. It is attached to the southeastern exterior of the walled plain Leibnitz, and the ejecta from Finsen covers the southeastern part of Leibnitz's interior floor. To the southwest of Finsen is another walled plain, Von Kármán, partly overlain by Leibnitz.
Fridman is the remains of a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies due south of the huge walled plain Hertzsprung, and is attached to the northeastern rim of the crater Ioffe.