The craters Delisle (above) and Diophantus (below) from Apollo 15. NASA photo. |
|
Diameter | 19 km |
---|---|
Depth | 3.0 km |
Colongitude | 34° at sunrise |
Eponym | Diophantus |
Diophantus is a lunar impact crater that lies in the southwestern part of the Mare Imbrium. It forms a pair with the larger crater Delisle to the north. Diophantus has a wide inner wall and a low central rise. To the north of Diophantus is the sinuous rille designated Rima Diophantus, named after the crater. There is a tiny craterlet near the exterior of the southwest wall.
Contents |
This cleft follows a generally east–west path across the Mare Imbrium. It is centered at selenographic coordinates 31.0° N, 32.0° W, and has a maximum diameter of 150 km. Several tiny craters near this rille have been assigned names by the IAU. These are listed in the table below.
Crater | Coordinates | Diameter | Name source |
---|---|---|---|
Isabel | 1 km | Spanish feminine name | |
Louise | 0.8 km | French feminine name | |
Samir | 2 km | Arabic masculine name | |
Walter1 | 1 km | German masculine name |
1 | Not to be confused with the large crater Walther in the southern hemisphere which is misidentified as 'Walter' in some publications |
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 Diophantus.
Diophantus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
B | 29.1° N | 32.5° W | 6 km |
C | 27.3° N | 34.7° W | 5 km |
D | 26.9° N | 36.3° W | 4 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.