Plinius (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 15.4° N, 23.7° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 43 km |
| Depth | 4.3 km |
| Colongitude | 336° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Gaius Secundus |
Plinius is a prominent lunar impact crater lies on the border between Mare Serenitatis in the north and Mare Tranquilitatis in the south. South-southeast of Plinius is Ross crater, and to the northeast is Dawes crater. Just to the north is a system of rilles named the Rimae Plinius. At the northwest edge of the rille is the Promontorium Archeruia, a cape off the western rim that encloses the Mare Serenitatis.
The sharp rim of the Plinius crater is slightly oval in form, with a terraced inner wall, and an irregular outer rampart. It lacks a visible ray system. The crater floor is hilly, and in the middle is an irregular central peak that has the appearance of a double crater formation under certain angles of illumination. There is a cleft feature attached to the northern side of the peak. The eastern half of the floor is much more smooth and level than the hummocky west, and this section forms a crescent shape about the central peak.
[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 Plinius crater.
| Plinius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 13.0° N | 24.2° E | 4 km |
| B | 14.1° N | 26.2° E | 5 km |
[edit] References
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- 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.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 0-936389-27-3.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). Lunar Nomenclature. Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- 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.
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- 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.
