Theaetetus (crater)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 37.0° N, 6.0° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25 km |
| Depth | 2.8 km |
| Colongitude | 354° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Theaetetus |
Theaetetus is a lunar impact crater that is located to the southeast of Cassini crater near the eastern edge of Mare Imbrium. It lies just to the west of the Montes Caucasus range, which forms the eastern shore of the mare. To the southwest is the prominent Aristillus crater.
The rim of Theaetetus is distinctly polygonal in shape, with a slight rounding at the vertices. There is a low outer rampart and a slight central rise on the crater floor, which is offset to the northeast of the crater mid-point. The interior is otherwise relatively featureless.
This crater has been noted in the past as a site of possible transient lunar phenomena. In 1902, a white cloud was observed to briefly form in the vicinity of the crater. Other observers, including Patrick Moore and W. H. Pickering, have also noted unusual appearances in this area.
[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.
