Hortensius (crater)

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Crater characteristics
Coordinates 6.5° N, 28.0° W
Diameter 15 km (9 mi)
Depth 2.9 km (1.8 mi)
Colongitude 28° at sunrise
Eponym Martin van den Hove

Hortensius is a small, bowl-shaped lunar impact crater that is located in the northern part of the Mare Insularum. It lies some distance to the west-southwest of the prominent Copernicus crater. The crater is circular and cup-shaped, with a small floor at the mid-point of the sloping interior walls. The interior has a higher albedo than the surrounding lunar mare, despite traces of ray material from Copernicus.

To the north of this feature is a collection of six lunar domes, many having a tiny craterlet at the summit. These are shield volcanoes that were formed by a highly-viscous type of lava. The domes are generally circular in form, with a diameter of 6-8 kilometers (4-5 mi), and rising as high as 400 meters (1300 ft). They are formed of the same material as the surrounding mare, although from a different process.

[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 Hortensius crater.

Hortensius Latitude Longitude Diameter (km) Diameter (mi)
A 4.4° N 30.7° W 10 km 6 mi
B 5.3° N 29.5° W 6 km 4 mi
C 6.0° N 26.7° W 7 km 4 mi
D 5.4° N 32.3° W 6 km 4 mi
E 5.2° N 25.4° W 15 km 9 mi
F 7.1° N 25.6° W 6 km 4 mi
G 8.1° N 26.1° W 4 km 2½ mi
H 5.9° N 31.1° W 6 km 4 mi

[edit] References