Fracastorius (crater)

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Fracastorius
Fracastorius crater 4077 4072.jpg
Mosaic of Lunar Orbiter 4 images
Coordinates 21°12′S33°00′E / 21.2°S 33.0°E / -21.2; 33.0 Coordinates: 21°12′S33°00′E / 21.2°S 33.0°E / -21.2; 33.0
Diameter 124 km
Depth None
Colongitude 327° at sunrise
Eponym Girolamo Fracastoro

Fracastorius is the lava-flooded remnant of an ancient lunar impact crater located at the southern edge of Mare Nectaris. To the northwest of this formation lies the crater Beaumont, while to the northeast is Rosse.

The northern wall of this crater is missing, with only mounds appearing in the lunar mare to mark the outline. The lava that formed Mare Nectaris also invaded this crater, so the structure now forms a bay-like extension. The remainder of the rim is heavily worn and covered in lesser impact craters, leaving little of the original rim intact. The maximum elevation of the rim is 2.4 km. The most prominent of these craters is Fractastorius D, which overlies a portion of the western rim.

Fracastorius has no central peak, but a long, slender rille runs across the middle of the floor in a generally east–west direction.

The crater commemorates the Italian scholar, astronomer and poet Girolamo Fracastoro, "Fracastorius" (1478‑1553). [1]

Satellite craters

Satellite craters of Fracastorius Fracastorius sattelite craters map.jpg
Satellite craters of Fracastorius

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Fracastorius.

Oblique view facing south from Apollo 11. The small crater in left foreground is Rosse. Fracastorius crater AS11-42-6235.jpg
Oblique view facing south from Apollo 11. The small crater in left foreground is Rosse.
Similar view with different lighting from Apollo 16 Fracastorius crater AS16-M-0687.jpg
Similar view with different lighting from Apollo 16
FracastoriusLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A24.4° S36.5° E18 km
B22.5° S37.2° E27 km
C24.6° S34.6° E16 km
D21.8° S30.9° E28 km
E20.2° S31.0° E13 km
G21.2° S38.3° E16 km
H20.7° S30.6° E21 km
J20.8° S37.4° E12 km
K25.4° S34.7° E17 km
L20.6° S33.2° E5 km
M21.7° S32.9° E4 km
N23.2° S34.0° E10 km
P25.5° S33.3° E8 km
Q25.1° S33.2° E8 km
R23.8° S33.7° E5 km
S19.0° S31.9° E5 km
T19.8° S37.4° E14 km
W22.6° S35.7° E7 km
X23.0° S31.1° E7 km
Y23.0° S32.0° E12 km
Z24.8° S33.6° E9 km

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Beaumont (crater)

Beaumont is a lava-flooded crater located on the southwestern shore of the Mare Nectaris on Earth's Moon. It lies to the northwest of the similarly flooded crater remnant Fracastorius. To the west is the prominent crater Catharina. The crater is named after French geologist Léonce Élie de Beaumont.

Russell (lunar crater)

Russell is the lava-flooded remains of a lunar impact crater. It is located in the western part of the Oceanus Procellarum, close to the western lunar limb. As a result, it appears oblong-shaped due to foreshortening.

Catharina (crater)

Catharina is an ancient lunar impact crater located in the southern highlands. It was named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It lies in a rugged stretch of land between the Rupes Altai scarp to the west and Mare Nectaris in the east. To the west-northwest is the crater Tacitus, and the lava-flooded Beaumont lies to the east along the shore of Mare Nectaris. To the south-southeast is Polybius.

Daguerre (crater)

Daguerre is a circular formation near the north end of Mare Nectaris. To the west-northwest is the crater Mädler, and beyond it to the west is the prominent Theophilus. To the north in the rugged continental area between the maria is Isidorus.

Egede (crater)

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Endymion (crater)

Endymion is a lunar impact crater that lies near the northeast limb of the Moon. It is located to the east of Mare Frigoris, and north of the Lacus Temporis. To the southwest is the somewhat smaller crater Atlas. Because of its location, Endymion has an oval appearance from foreshortening. Beyond the crater along the lunar limb is the Mare Humboldtianum.

Snellius (crater)

Snellius is a lunar impact crater located near the southeast limb of the Moon.

Bohnenberger (crater)

Bohnenberger is a lunar impact crater that lies near the east edge of the Mare Nectaris, in the foothills of the Montes Pyrenaeus mountain range that forms the perimeter of the mare. To the east beyond the mountains is the larger crater Colombo. The crater has a low rim along the north wall, and the floor is somewhat irregular with a ridge crossing the floor. There is a small crater along the western inner wall.

Bonpland (crater)

Bonpland is the remains of a lunar impact crater that is attached to the walled plain Fra Mauro to the north and Parry to the east. The intersection of their rims forms a three-pointed mountainous rise. To the southeast is the small crater Tolansky. Bonpland lies on the eastern edge of Mare Cognitum. It is named after Aimé Bonpland, a French explorer and botanist.

Capella (crater)

Capella is a lunar impact crater 49 km (30 mi) in diameter that lies to the north of the Mare Nectaris, in a rugged region with many small impact craters. It was named after Roman astronomer Martianus Capella. It intrudes slightly into the eastern rim of the crater Isidorus, a feature only slightly smaller in diameter.

Darney (crater) Lunar crater

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Condon (crater)

Condon is a lunar impact crater that lies on the eastern shore of the Sinus Successus, a bay along the northeast edge of Mare Fecunditatis. It was named after American physicist Edward U. Condon. It lies midway between the larger crater Apollonius to the north and the smaller Webb to the south on the Mare Fecunditatis. Condon was previously designated Webb R.

Cusanus (crater) Lunar crater

Cusanus is a lunar impact crater that is located near the northeastern limb of the Moon. In this location the crater appears very foreshortened when observed from the Earth, and its visibility is affected by libration. The northern rim of Cusanus is nearly joined to the south-southeastern rim of the larger crater Petermann. To the west is Baillaud and to the southeast is Hayn.

Isidorus (crater)

Isidorus is a lunar impact crater that is located to the north of the Mare Nectaris, on the eastern half of the Moon's near side. It was named after Spanish astronomer Saint Isidore of Seville. It forms a pair with the slightly larger Capella, which is attached to the east-northeastern rim. To the west-southwest across the lunar mare are Mädler and the prominent Theophilus.

Loewy (crater)

Loewy is a small lunar impact crater that lies along the eastern rim of Mare Humorum, in the southwest part of the Moon's near side. It was named after French astronomer Maurice Loewy. This is a lava-flooded formation that lies to the southwest of the larger, lava-flooded crater Agatharchides. To the southeast is an even larger lava-flooded formation, Hippalus.

Crozier (crater)

Crozier is a lunar impact crater that is located on the southwest edge of Mare Fecunditatis, a lunar mare in the eastern part of the Moon's near side. It lies to the east-northeast of the prominent crater Colombo, and southeast of the small crater Bellot.

Chrétien (crater)

Chrétien is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon from the Earth. It lies due south of the Mare Ingenii, one of the few maria on the Moon's far side. The crater lies in the midpoint between the craters Garavito to the west-southwest and Oresme to the east-northeast, both of these being somewhat smaller than Chrétien.

Lorentz (crater)

Lorentz is a huge lunar impact crater that lies just beyond the northwest limb of the Moon, in a region that is brought into sight of the Earth during favorable librations. This formation is nearly as large as the Mare Nectaris on the near side of the Moon, although it has not been submerged by lava as have the lunar mare. Sections of the crater floor are, however, relatively level, particularly an arc along the western rim. But this last region is still marked by a number of tiny craterlets. The remainder of the interior is rough and irregular, and marked with a multitude of impacts.

Chevallier (crater)

Chevallier is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, about a crater diameter east-southeast of the prominent crater Atlas. To the south-southeast of Chevallier is the flooded crater Shuckburgh.

Neujmin (crater) Lunar crater

Neujmin is a lunar impact crater on the Moon's far side. It is nearly attached to the west-southwest of the smaller crater Waterman, and lies to the southwest of the prominent Tsiolkovskiy.

References

  1. "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | Fracastorius". usgs.gov. International Astronomical Union . Retrieved August 27, 2017.