Hecataeus (crater)

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Crater characteristics
Hecataeus (center) and Humboldt (lower right) from Apollo 15. NASA photo.
Coordinates	21.8° S, 79.4° E
Diameter	167 km
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	283° at sunrise
Eponym	Hecataeus of Miletus

Hecataeus is a large lunar crater that lies near the eastern limb of the Moon. It is attached to the northern rim of the Humboldt walled plain. To the northeast is the smaller Gibbs crater. East of Hecataeus is a chain of tiny craterlets forming a line radial to Hunboldt crater. These are designated the Catena Humboldt; named after the walled plain.

This is a worn and eroded walled plain with wide inner walls. The northern part of Hecataeus overlays half of 'Hecataeus K', a fairly substantial crater. Along the southern rim, the outer rampart of ejecta from Humboldt forms a rugged interior surface across the southern floor. Several small, bowl-shaped craters lay across the eastern rim and inner wall. The western rim is much less damaged by impacts, although it is still eroded. The northern part of the interior floor is relatively featureless.

[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 Hecataeus crater.

Hecataeus	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	22.0° S	81.6° E	11 km
B	19.5° S	75.6° E	69 km
C	19.0° S	73.2° E	22 km
E	18.5° S	72.8° E	13 km
J	22.6° S	80.8° E	11 km
K	19.1° S	79.8° E	76 km
L	19.1° S	79.0° E	21 km
M	20.9° S	84.1° E	18 km
N	21.0° S	80.8° E	10 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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• Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 1852331933.