Montes Carpatus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Montes Carpatus is a mountain range that forms the southern edge of the Mare Imbrium on the Moon. The selenographic coordinates of this range are 14.5° N, 24.4° W, and the formation has an overall diameter of 361 km (224 miles). They were named for the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe.
This rugged range generally stretches from west to east. The western end begins in the vicinity of T. Mayer crater, although a few low ridges curve northward toward Euler crater. At the eastern extreme is a wide gap where Mare Imbrium in the north joins Mare Insularum to the south. Starting at the east side of this gap are the Montes Apenninus, another mountainous range that curves up toward the northeast.
Most of this range consists of a series of peaks and rises, separated by valleys that have been penetrated by lava flows. None of the peaks have received individual names, unless one includes Mons Vinogradov to the west of Euler crater. The surface to the north of the range is nearly level lunar mare, broken only by the occasional wrinkle-ridge or minor impact crater.
The region south of the range is somewhat rougher, although still covered by lava flows. About 100 kilometers south of the mountains is the well-known Copernicus crater, and the irregular outer ramparts of this crater stretch almost to the foothills of the Carpatus range. Also of note is the smaller Gay-Lussac crater, which is attached to the southern part of the range.
