Coordinates | 29°42′S32°18′E / 29.7°S 32.3°E Coordinates: 29°42′S32°18′E / 29.7°S 32.3°E |
---|---|
Diameter | 88 km |
Depth | 4.5 km |
Colongitude | 328° at sunrise |
Eponym | Alessandro Piccolomini |
Piccolomini is a prominent lunar impact crater located in the southeastern sector of the Moon. The crater is named after 16th century Italian Archbishop and astronomer Alessandro Piccolomini. [1] [2] The crater Rothmann lies to the west-southwest, and to the south is Stiborius. The lengthy Rupes Altai begins at the western rim of Piccolomini, curving to the northwest. It is 88 kilometers in diameter and 4,500 meters deep. It is from the Upper Imbrian period, 3.8 to 3.2 billion years ago. [3]
The crater rim has not been severely worn by crater impacts, and the inner wall possesses wide terraces. These structures have been somewhat smoothed by landslips and erosion, most likely induced by seismic activity. An influx of material has entered across the northern rim, flowing down toward the base. The crater floor is relatively smooth, with only minor hills and impact craters. In the middle is a complex central peak surrounded by lesser mounts. The main peak rises to a height of 2.0 kilometers above the surrounding floor. [4] [5]
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Piccolomini. [6]
Piccolomini | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
A | 26.4° S | 30.4° E | 16 km |
B | 25.8° S | 30.5° E | 12 km |
C | 27.6° S | 31.1° E | 26 km |
D | 26.9° S | 32.2° E | 17 km |
E | 26.1° S | 31.8° E | 18 km |
F | 26.3° S | 31.8° E | 72 km |
G | 27.2° S | 34.7° E | 18 km |
H | 27.9° S | 27.6° E | 9 km |
J | 25.0° S | 30.1° E | 28 km |
K | 25.7° S | 29.7° E | 8 km |
L | 26.1° S | 33.7° E | 12 km |
M | 27.8° S | 31.8° E | 23 km |
N | 27.3° S | 26.2° E | 9 km |
O | 26.6° S | 30.5° E | 11 km |
P | 30.4° S | 35.9° E | 12 km |
Q | 30.8° S | 36.4° E | 14 km |
R | 29.3° S | 35.3° E | 16 km |
S | 31.6° S | 34.1° E | 21 km |
T | 28.5° S | 29.0° E | 8 km |
W | 26.8° S | 29.2° E | 6 km |
X | 26.9° S | 31.5° E | 8 km |
Fermat is a lunar impact crater located to the west of the Rupes Altai escarpment. To the west-southwest is the larger crater Sacrobosco, and to the southwest is the irregular Pons. It is 39 kilometers in diameter and two kilometers deep.
Arzachel is a relatively young lunar impact crater located in the highlands in the south-central part of the visible Moon, close to the zero meridian. It lies to the south of the crater Alphonsus, and together with Ptolemaeus further north the three form a prominent line of craters to the east of Mare Nubium. The smaller Alpetragius lies to the northwest, and Thebit is to the southwest along the edge of the mare.
Bullialdus is a lunar impact crater located in the western part of the Mare Nubium. It was named after French astronomer Ismaël Boulliau. To the north by north-west is the broken-rimmed and lava-flooded crater Lubiniezky. South-west of Bullialdus lies the smaller crater König.
Ptolemaeus is an ancient lunar impact crater close to the center of the near side, named for Claudius Ptolemy, the Greco-Roman writer, mathematician, astronomer, geographer and astrologer. It measures approximately 154 kilometers in diameter.
Rheita is a lunar impact crater located in the southwestern sector of the Moon. It was named after Czech astronomer and optician Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita. It lies to the northeast of the crater Metius, and northwest of Young. The southwestern rim overlies the edge of Vallis Rheita, a long lunar valley stretching for over 200 kilometers on a line running northeast to southwest. At its widest the valley is 25 kilometers wide and a kilometer deep.
Euler is a lunar impact crater located in the southern half of the Mare Imbrium, and is named after the Swiss mathematician, physician and astronomer Leonhard Euler. The most notable nearby feature is Mons Vinogradov to the west-southwest. There is a cluster of low ridges to the southwest, and this formation includes the small crater Natasha and the tiny Jehan. About 200 kilometers to the east-northeast is the comparably sized crater Lambert.
Abulfeda is a lunar impact crater located in the central highlands of the Moon. To the northeast is the crater Descartes, and to the south-southeast is Almanon. To the north is the crater Dollond. A chain of craters named the Catena Abulfeda runs between the southern rim of Abulfeda and the north rim of Almanon, then continues for a length of 210 kilometers across the Rupes Altai. The crater was named for 14th century Kurdish historian Ismael Abul-fida.
Aristillus is a prominent lunar impact crater that lies in the eastern Mare Imbrium. It was named after Greek astronomer Aristyllus. Directly to the south is the smaller crater Autolycus, while to the southwest is the large Archimedes. To the northeast are the craters Theaetetus and Cassini.
Autolycus is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southeast part of Mare Imbrium. The crater is named after the ancient Greek astronomer Autolycus of Pitane. West of the formation is Archimedes, a formation more than double the size of Autolycus. Just to the north is Aristillus, and the outer ramparts of these two craters overlap in the intermediate stretch of the lunar mare.
Flammarion is a lunar impact crater on the south edge of Sinus Medii. Its diameter is 76 km. It is named after the French astronomer Camille Flammarion. It is located between the crater Mösting to the northwest and Herschel to the southeast. The bowl-shaped Mösting A intersects the western rim of Flammarion.
Aliacensis is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. The crater Werner is located just to its north-northwest, and a narrow, rugged valley lies between the two comparably sized formations. To the southwest is Walther, and Apianus is to the northeast. Aliacensis is named after the 14th century French geographer and theologian Pierre d'Ailly in 1935. It is from the Nectarian period, which lasted from 3.92 to 3.85 billion years ago.
Apianus is a lunar impact crater that is located on the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon. It is named after 16th century German mathematician and astronomer Petrus Apianus. It is located to the northeast of the crater Aliacensis, and to the northwest of Poisson. The worn crater Krusenstern is attached to the west-northwestern rim.
Baco is a lunar impact crater that lies in the rugged southern highlands on the near side of the Moon. The rim and inner wall has been eroded and worn by countless minor impacts since the original formation of the crater. As a result, any terraces have been worn smooth and the rim is overlaid by several tiny craterlets. The interior floor is nearly flat, with no characteristic central peak at the midpoint and no small craters of significance.
Donati is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon. It lies just to the northwest of the crater Faye, and the two outer rims are separated by a gap of less than 10 kilometers. To the north is the comparably sized Airy, and farther to the southeast is Playfair. Donati is 36 kilometers in diameter.
Nicolai is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere of the Moon, in a region that is less disturbed by significant impacts than most of the highlands. The nearest craters of note are Spallanzani to the south, and the much larger Maurolycus and Barocius to the east. The crater is named after the 19th-century German astronomer Friedrich Bernhard Gottfried Nicolai. It is 42 kilometers in diameter and reaches a depth of 1.8 kilometers.
Deluc is a lunar impact crater that lies in the southern highlands of the Moon. It is located to the south-southeast of the crater Maginus, and the huge Clavius. Due east of Deluc is the somewhat larger crater Lilius. It is 47 kilometers in diameter and 3.3 kilometers deep. It is from the Pre-Imbrian period, which lasted from 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago.
Nearch is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southeastern part of the Moon, to the southeast of the crater Hommel. North of Nearch is Vlacq, and to the northeast lies Rosenberger. The crater is 76 kilometers in diameter and 2.9 kilometers deep. It is from the Pre-Nectarian period, 4.55 to 3.92 billion years ago.
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.
Stiborius is a lunar impact crater that lies to the south-southwest of the crater Piccolomini, in the southeastern quadrant of the Moon's near side. To the south-southwest of Stiborius is the smaller Wöhler. Stiborius is 44 kilometers in diameter and 3.7 kilometers deep.
Lindenau is a lunar impact crater. It is located beside the east-southeastern rim of the crater Zagut, and to the northeast of Rabbi Levi. To the northeast is the slightly smaller crater Rothmann and the Rupes Altai scarp. It is 53 kilometers in diameter and 2.9 kilometers deep.