Catharina (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
 Location of Catharina crater. |
|
| Coordinates | 18.0° S, 23.6° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 100 km |
| Depth | 3.1 km |
| Colongitude | 337° at sunrise |
| Eponym | St. Catherine |
Catharina is an ancient lunar impact crater located in the southern highlands. 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 Tacitus crater, and the lava-flooded Beaumont crater lies to the east along the shore of Mare Imbrium. To the south-southeast is the Polybius crater.
With the large Cyrillus and Theophilus craters in the north, it forms a prominent grouping that is framed by the curve of the Rupes Altai. Together they form a notable feature when the sun is at a low angle to the surface. There is also a distinct difference in the ages of these three craters, with the age increasing significantly from north to south.
The rim of Catharina is heavily worn and irregular, with most of the north wall incised by the worn ring of crater Catharina P. The northeast wall is deeply impacted by several smaller craters. No terracing remains on the inner wall, and the outer rampart has been nearly eroded away. The floor is relatively flat but rugged, with a curved ridge formed by Catharina P, and the remains of a smaller crater near the south wall. Nothing remains of a central peak.
[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 Catharina crater.
| Catharina | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 20.2° S | 22.3° E | 14 km |
| B | 17.0° S | 24.3° E | 24 km |
| C | 20.3° S | 24.4° E | 28 km |
| D | 16.8° S | 21.4° E | 9 km |
| E | 17.1° S | 21.3° E | 7 km |
| F | 19.5° S | 23.1° E | 7 km |
| G | 17.4° S | 24.9° E | 17 km |
| H | 19.2° S | 25.4° E | 6 km |
| J | 19.4° S | 22.2° E | 6 km |
| K | 20.0° S | 23.9° E | 7 km |
| L | 21.0° S | 24.3° E | 5 km |
| M | 19.2° S | 20.7° E | 6 km |
| P | 17.2° S | 23.3° E | 46 km |
| S | 18.8° S | 23.3° E | 16 km |
[edit] References
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- Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 0-936389-27-3.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). Lunar Nomenclature. Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by The Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews 12: 136.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-304-35469-4.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521335000.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 0-913135-17-8.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, 6th revision, Dover. ISBN 0-486-20917-2.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-62248-4.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 1852331933.
