Riccius (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 36.9° S, 26.5° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 71 km |
| Depth | 1.8 km |
| Colongitude | 335° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Matteo Ricci |
Riccius is a lunar crater that is located in the rugged, southeastern part of the Moon's near side. It lies within one crater diameter southeast of the Rabbi Levi crater. To the east-northeast is Stiborius crater and due south is Nicolai crater.
This formation has been so heavily bombarded by subsequent impacts that it is nearly unrecognizable as a crater. Only the western and southwest part of the rim remains intact, the remainder having been completely obliterated by small craters. These craters also occupy parts of the northern and southern floor. Only a section in the northeast and near the intact western rim remain unmarked. This is perhaps the most defaced crater formation on the Moon that also possesses an eponym.
[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 Riccius crater.
| Riccius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 35.9° S | 27.4° E | 24 km |
| B | 37.5° S | 27.8° E | 19 km |
| C | 36.2° S | 28.8° E | 24 km |
| D | 40.3° S | 28.9° E | 17 km |
| E | 39.9° S | 26.4° E | 22 km |
| G | 38.5° S | 24.4° E | 13 km |
| H | 35.4° S | 26.1° E | 20 km |
| J | 40.7° S | 26.0° E | 13 km |
| K | 39.1° S | 25.7° E | 6 km |
| L | 41.5° S | 26.8° E | 8 km |
| M | 37.8° S | 26.4° E | 14 km |
| N | 41.1° S | 27.6° E | 13 km |
| O | 36.2° S | 27.8° E | 9 km |
| P | 35.7° S | 28.1° E | 11 km |
| R | 41.4° S | 30.7° E | 7 km |
| S | 37.0° S | 26.5° E | 11 km |
| T | 36.3° S | 25.0° E | 7 km |
| W | 38.9° S | 25.2° E | 19 km |
| X | 38.8° S | 26.7° E | 11 km |
| Y | 35.8° S | 29.1° 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.
