Pontécoulant (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 58.7° S, 66.0° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 91 km |
| Depth | 1.8 km |
| Colongitude | 297° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Philippe G. Doulcet |
Pontécoulant is a prominent lunar impact crater that is located in the southeastern part of the Moon. Due to its position, the crater appears foreshortened from the Earth and it is difficult to observe much detail. Nearby craters include Hanno just to the northeast, and the comparably-sized Helmholtz due south.
This crater has terraced inner wall that is nearly circular, but with an outward extension to the southeast. The rim is somewhat worn but retains much detail. The crater partly overlays the older and smaller 'Pontécoulant E' along the south rim, and has several tiny craterlets on the eastern inner wall and one to the southwest.
The inner floor is nearly flat, with some rough ground near the southern rim and some low central peaks located southwest of the mid-point. There is a small but prominent crater located at the center of the floor, and several other tiny craterlets scattered across the inner surface.
The eponym of this crater is Philippe Gustave Doulcet, le Comte de Pontécoulant.
[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 Pontécoulant crater.
| Pontécoulant | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 57.7° S | 62.9° E | 19 km |
| B | 57.9° S | 58.5° E | 39 km |
| C | 55.6° S | 59.1° E | 30 km |
| D | 60.2° S | 71.9° E | 10 km |
| E | 60.5° S | 64.5° E | 44 km |
| F | 57.4° S | 67.7° E | 60 km |
| G | 57.2° S | 60.1° E | 36 km |
| H | 58.4° S | 65.2° E | 9 km |
| J | 61.6° S | 64.3° E | 39 km |
| K | 61.5° S | 61.0° E | 13 km |
| L | 59.0° S | 59.7° E | 17 km |
| M | 60.8° S | 74.1° E | 10 km |
[edit] References
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
