De Sitter (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 80.1° N, 39.6° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 65 km |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Colongitude | 328° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Willem de Sitter |
De Sitter is a lunar crater that is located near the northern limb of the Moon, to the north of the Baillaud-Euctemon crater pair. Due to its location, this crater appears very foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, limiting the detail that can be viewed. The crater also receives sunlight at a low angle, when it is on the sunlit side.
This crater forms part of an unusual three-crater cluster, with De Sitter overlaying the northeast rim of 'De Sitter L' and the southern rim of 'De Sitter M'. All three craters are of comparable dimension, with the largest being 'De Sitter M'. Where De Sitter overlays the other two craters, its outer rim appears slumped. The rim is more sharply formed along the east-southeast side. Lying next to this part of the rim is 'De Sitter G', a small formation of two merged craters.
The interior floor of De Sitter is somewhat irregular and hummocky, with a slender central ridge near the mid-point. There are several small and tiny craterlets across the interior floor. There are some rilles near the inner wall, possibly volcanic in origin.
[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 de Sitter crater.
| de Sitter | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 80.2° N | 26.6° E | 36 km |
| F | 80.2° N | 51.0° E | 22 km |
| G | 78.9° N | 42.7° E | 9 km |
| L | 78.8° N | 34.5° E | 69 km |
| M | 81.3° N | 38.5° E | 81 km |
| U | 77.8° N | 46.5° E | 37 km |
| V | 79.1° N | 56.9° E | 17 km |
| W | 79.4° N | 54.1° E | 40 km |
| X | 80.3° N | 55.4° E | 9 km |
[edit] References
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- Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
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