Autolycus (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30.7° N, 1.5° E |
| Diameter | 39 km |
| Depth | 3.4 km |
| Colongitude | 358° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Autolycus |
Autolycus is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southeast part of Mare Imbrium. West of the formation is the Archimedes crater, a formation more than double the size of Autolycus. Just to the north is the Aristillus crater, and the outer ramparts of these two craters overlap in the intermediate stretch of the lunar mare.
The rim of Autolycus is somewhat irregular, although generally circular overall. It has a small outer rampart and an irregular interior with no central peak. It possesses a light ray system that extends for a distance of over 400 kilometers. Some of the ray material appears to overlay the flooded floor of Archimedes crater.
The Luna 2 probe crash-landed just to the west-southwest of the crater rim.
The crater is named after the famed thief Autolycus in Greek Mythology.
[edit] Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Autolycus crater.
| Autolycus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 30.9° N | 2.2° E | 4 km |
| K | 31.2° N | 5.4° E | 3 km |
[edit] References
- See the reference table for the general listing of literature and web sites that were used in the compilation of this page.
