Mons Piton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mons Piton
Elevation	2.3 km
Location	the Moon
Coordinates	40.6° N 1.1° W
Listing	Lunar mountains

Mons Piton is an isolated lunar mount that is located in the eastern part of the Mare Imbrium, to the north-northwest of Aristillus crater. Due east of Mons Piton is the flooded Cassini crater, and to the west-northwest lies the Piazzi crater. North and northeast of this massif is the Montes Alpes range, forming the northeast edge of the lunar mare.

The selenographic coordinates of this rise are 40.6° N, 1.1° W, and it has a diameter of 25 km. It is slightly elongated along toward the northwest, with ridge lines to the south, northwest, and west. The peak climbs to a height of 2.3 km, typical of the peaks in the Montes Alpes, but much lower than Mons Blanc, which rises to 3.6 km. Because it is an isolated formation on the lunar mare, this peak can form prominent shadows when illuminated by oblique sunlight during the lunar dawn or dusk.

There are a pair of satellite craters on the mare to the south that are named for this peak (see below). To the south-southwest is a low ridge feature in an isolated portion of the mare that is designated Piton Gamma (γ).

Mons Piton was named for a peak on Tenerife Island.