Hyginus (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 7.8° N, 6.3° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 11 km |
| Depth | 0.8 km |
| Colongitude | 354° at sunrise |
| Eponym | C. Julius Hyginus |
Hyginus is a small lunar caldera located at the east end of the Sinus Medii. The crater rim is split by a long, linear rille that branches to the northwest and to the east-southeast for a total length of 220 kilometers. The crater is deeper than the rille, and lies at the bend where they intersect. Together the Hyginus crater and Rima Hyginus form a distinctive and prominent feature in an otherwise flat surface. Smaller craterlets can also be discerned along the length of this rille, possibly caused by a collapse of an underlying structure.
This is one of the few craters on the Moon that was not created as a result of an impact, and is instead believed to be volcanic in origin. It lacks the raised outer rim that is typical with impact craters.
[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 Hyginus crater.
| Hyginus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 6.3° N | 5.7° E | 8 km |
| B | 7.6° N | 5.1° E | 6 km |
| C | 7.7° N | 8.3° E | 5 km |
| D | 11.4° N | 4.3° E | 5 km |
| E | 8.7° N | 8.5° E | 4 km |
| F | 8.0° N | 8.6° E | 4 km |
| G | 11.0° N | 6.0° E | 4 km |
| H | 6.0° N | 7.0° E | 4 km |
| N | 10.5° N | 7.4° E | 11 km |
| S | 6.4° N | 8.0° E | 29 km |
| W | 9.7° N | 7.7° E | 22 km |
| Z | 8.0° N | 9.5° E | 28 km |
[edit] References
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- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A., (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- 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.
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- 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.
