![]() LRO mosaic | |
Coordinates | 37°06′S47°12′E / 37.1°S 47.2°E Coordinates: 37°06′S47°12′E / 37.1°S 47.2°E |
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Diameter | 70 km |
Depth | 4.3 km |
Colongitude | 314° at sunrise |
Eponym | Anton M. S. of Rheita |
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. [1] 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.
The rim of Rheita remains well-defined with a sharp lip and a terraced inner wall. The rim overlaps a slightly smaller crater to the east, and has a pair of small impact craters in the northern wall. The crater floor is flat and it has a central peak.
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Rheita. It has overlapping craters.
Rheita | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
A | 38.0° S | 50.0° E | 11 km |
B | 39.1° S | 52.8° E | 21 km |
C | 35.1° S | 44.2° E | 8 km |
D | 39.1° S | 50.1° E | 6 km |
E | 34.2° S | 49.1° E | 66 x 32 km |
F | 35.4° S | 48.4° E | 14 km |
G | 40.5° S | 54.3° E | 15 km |
H | 39.8° S | 51.7° E | 7 km |
L | 37.7° S | 52.9° E | 10 km |
M | 35.5° S | 50.1° E | 25 km |
N | 35.1° S | 49.5° E | 8 km |
P | 37.9° S | 44.4° E | 11 km |
Anaximenes is a low-rimmed lunar impact crater near the north-northwest limb of the Moon. It lies to the west of the crater Philolaus, and northeast of Carpenter. To the northwest is Poncelet, close to the visible edge of the Moon.
Janssen is an ancient impact crater located in the highland region near the southeastern lunar limb. The entire structure has been heavily worn and is marked by many lesser crater impacts. The outer wall is breached in multiple locations, but the outline of the crater rim can still be observed. The wall forms a distinctive hexagonal shape upon the rugged lunar surface, with a slight curvature at the vertices.
Metius is a lunar impact crater located in the rugged highlands to the southeast of the Moon's near side. To the southwest the rim is attached to the crater Fabricius. Offset to the west-northwest is the heavily worn crater Brenner. Further away to the northeast is the crater Rheita and the long gorge Vallis Rheita.
Dawes is a lunar impact crater located in the wide straight between Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquilitatis. To its southwest lies the larger crater Plinius, and to its northeast sits the Mons Argaeus mountain rise. It is named after British astronomer William Rutter Dawes.
Snellius is a lunar impact crater located near the southeast limb of the Moon.
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Beals is a lunar impact crater that is located near the eastern limb of the Moon, and lies across the southwestern rim of the crater Riemann. From the Earth the crater is viewed nearly from on edge, and is best seen during favorable librations. To the west is the large walled plain Gauss.
Dawson is a lunar impact crater that lies on the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It lies across a crater triplet: the southeast rim is intruding into the crater Alekhin; the northwest rim also intrudes into the larger satellite crater Dawson V, and the northeast rim is attached to the comparably sized Dawson D. To the south of this formation is the large crater Zeeman. West of Dawson is the crater Crommelin, and to the north lies Fizeau.
Bohr is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western lunar limb, in the area that is affected by librations. It is attached to the southwestern rim of the larger, eroded Vasco da Gama formation, and to the southeast of the crater Einstein. The crater was observed for the first time in 1963, by Arthus and Ewen Whitaker in the book Rectified Lunar Atlas.
Darwin is a lunar impact crater of the type categorised as a walled plain. It lies in the southeastern part of the Moon, and is sufficiently close to the limb to appear significantly foreshortened when viewed from the Earth. Attached to its southern rim is Lamarck. To the northeast is the dark-floored crater Crüger.
Young is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged southeast part of the Moon's near side. It lies to the east of the crater Metius, and southeast of Rheita. The long Vallis Rheita follows a line tangential to the southwest rim of Rheita, and cuts a wide trough through the southwest floor and outer rim of Young.
Pasteur is a large lunar impact crater, approximately 233 kilometers in diameter, belonging to the category termed a walled plain. It was named after French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur. It lies on the far side of the Moon as seen from the Earth, just beyond the eastern limb. The vicinity of this crater is occasionally brought into view from Earth due to librations, although not much detail can be seen.
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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.
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Reimarus is a lunar impact crater, located in the southeastern part of the Moon's near side. The eroded southeastern end of the long Vallis Rheita passes just to the west. To the northeast is the larger and heavily worn crater Vega.
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).