Pons (crater)

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Pons
Pons crater 4084 h1.jpg
Coordinates 25°18′S21°30′E / 25.3°S 21.5°E / -25.3; 21.5 Coordinates: 25°18′S21°30′E / 25.3°S 21.5°E / -25.3; 21.5
Diameter 44 × 31 km
Depth 2.3 km
Colongitude 339° at sunrise
Eponym Jean-Louis Pons
Location of Pons (lower left) Crater Pons.jpg
Location of Pons (lower left)

Pons is a lunar impact crater that is located to the west of the prominent Rupes Altai scarp. It was named after French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons. [1] It lies to the southeast of the crater Sacrobosco, and southwest of Polybius. To the northwest along the same flank of the formation is the crater Fermat.

The rim of Pons is somewhat elongated in shape, being longer along a northeast–southwest axis than in the perpendicular direction. The outer wall is irregular and notched, particularly at the northeastern end where it is partly overlain by the satellite crater Pons D and multiple smaller formations. The interior is uneven, with low ridges projecting from the north and southeastern rims.

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 Pons.

PonsLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A27.3° S20.0° E12 km
B28.7° S20.7° E13 km
C27.9° S22.3° E18 km
D25.5° S22.1° E15 km
E25.8° S23.8° E18 km
F23.7° S21.2° E12 km
G28.3° S21.4° E6 km
H26.9° S22.3° E10 km
J24.9° S22.2° E5 km
K27.4° S22.8° E7 km
L27.5° S20.9° E8 km
M27.1° S24.1° E11 km
N26.0° N23.0° E6 km
P25.0° N23.1° E5 km

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References

  1. "Pons (crater)" . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.