Rhaeticus (crater)

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Rhaeticus
Rhaeticus crater 4101 h3.jpg
Coordinates 0°00′N4°54′E / 0.0°N 4.9°E / 0.0; 4.9 Coordinates: 0°00′N4°54′E / 0.0°N 4.9°E / 0.0; 4.9
Diameter 43 × 49 km
Depth 1.6 km
Colongitude 254° at sunrise
Eponym Georg Joachim Rheticus
Oblique view of Rhaeticus facing north, and showing Rhaeticus A crater in upper right. From Apollo 12 Rhaeticus crater AS12-52-7727.jpg
Oblique view of Rhaeticus facing north, and showing Rhaeticus A crater in upper right. From Apollo 12
Oblique view of Rhaeticus facing west at low sun angle. From Apollo 10 Rhaeticus crater as10-32-4855.jpg
Oblique view of Rhaeticus facing west at low sun angle. From Apollo 10

Rhaeticus is a lunar impact crater that lies astride the equator of the Moon, on the southeast edge of the Sinus Medii. To the north-northwest is the crater Triesnecker, and due south can be found the worn remnant of the walled plain Hipparchus. The crater was named after Austrian astronomer Georg Joachim Rheticus. [1] [2]

Contents

Description

The outer wall of Rhaeticus is heavily disintegrated, with rifts and notches in the northeast. The wall is most intact along the eastern face, while in the northwest it is little more than a low rise in the surface. There is also a low cut in the south-southeast wall. The overall shape of the rim is that of a rough hexagon that is slightly elongated in the north–south direction. The interior has been resurfaced by lava, and only a few low rises remain in the surface. Beginning at the crest of the eastern wall is a chain of craterlets that continue to the east-northeast for about a crater diameter. [3]

Running southwest from Rhaeticus to the crater Réaumur is a long rille, which is difficult to make out near Rhaeticus because of the group of mountains at that crater's southwest. The crater itself is 43 kilometers wide at one diameter and 49 kilometers long at another. It is from the Pre-Imbrian period, which lasted from 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago. [2]

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 Rhaeticus. [4]

Rhaeticus and its satellite craters map Rhaeticus sattelite craters map.jpg
Rhaeticus and its satellite craters map
RhaeticusLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A1.8° N5.2° E11 km
B1.7° N6.8° E6 km
D0.9° N6.2° E7 km
E0.1° S6.0° E5 km
F0.1° S6.5° E18 km
G1.0° N6.4° E6 km
H1.0° S5.4° E6 km
J0.7° S3.2° E4 km
L0.2° N3.6° E14 km
M1.0° N3.8° E7 km
N1.2° N4.2° E12 km

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Mersenius (crater)

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Aliacensis (crater)

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Delambre (crater)

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Apianus (crater)

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.

Geber (crater)

Geber is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon. It lies halfway between the crater Almanon to the north-northeast and the crater pair of Azophi and Abenezra to the south-southwest. Farther to the southeast is Sacrobosco. Geber is 45 kilometers in diameter and 3,510 meters deep.

Donati (crater)

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.

Fontenelle (crater)

Fontenelle is a lunar impact crater that is located along the northern edge of Mare Frigoris, in the northern part of the Moon. To the northeast is the remnant of the crater Birmingham. Due to its location, this crater appears oval in shape when observed from the Earth because of foreshortening.

Curtius (crater) Lunar surface depression

Curtius is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern part of the Moon. From the Earth the crater appears foreshortened, making it more difficult to observe detail. Nevertheless, this is a large crater that can be readily found in even small telescopes. Curtius is located within one crater diameter of the still-larger Moretus to the southwest. To the northeast is the smaller Pentland. Curtius is 95 kilometers in diameter and 6.8 kilometers deep. It is from the Nectarian period, 3.92 to 3.85 billion years ago.

Dyson (crater) Lunar impact crater

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.

Wilkins (crater) Lunar impact crater

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Santbech (crater)

Santbech is a lunar impact crater that is located to the southeast of Mare Nectaris. It lies south-southwest of the prominent crater Colombo. About one crater diameter to the east-northeast is the smaller Monge. The terrain around the crater, although rugged in places, has been flooded by lava and so has a low albedo and a relatively flat surface. It was named after the 16th-century Dutch mathematician and astronomer Daniel Santbech Noviomagus. It is from the Pre-Imbrian period, 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago.

References

  1. "Rhaeticus (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. 1 2 Autostar Suite Astronomer Edition. CD-ROM. Meade, April 2006.
  3. Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN   1-85233-193-3.
  4. Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-81528-2.