Gemma Frisius (crater)

Gemma Frisius (crater)
Coordinates 34°12′S 13°18′E / 34.2°S 13.3°ECoordinates: 34°12′S 13°18′E / 34.2°S 13.3°E
Diameter 88 km
Depth 4.7 km
Colongitude 347° at sunrise
Eponym Reiner Jemma

Gemma Frisius is a lunar crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. It lies to the north of the walled plain Maurolycus, and southeast of the smaller crater Poisson. The crater Goodacre is attached to the northeast rim.

The outer wall of this crater has been heavily damaged by impacts, particularly along the north and west sides. The smaller satellite craters D, G, and H are attached to this damaged face. As some observers have noted, this crater formation bears a certain resemblance to a paw print with these craters forming three of the toes and the crater Goodacre the fourth.

The southeastern rim of the crater is also worn, and the inner wall has slumped nearly a third of the distance across the interior floor. The remainder of the floor is relatively level and deep, with a central peak that is offset to the northwest of the midpoint.

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Gemma Frisius.

Gemma
Frisius
Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 35.8° S 15.2° E 68 km
B 35.5° S 17.1° E 41 km
C 35.6° S 18.8° E 35 km
D 34.3° S 10.9° E 28 km
E 37.2° S 12.8° E 19 km
F 35.8° S 10.3° E 9 km
G 33.2° S 11.4° E 37 km
H 32.4° S 12.2° E 28 km
J 35.1° S 18.1° E 12 km
K 37.4° S 11.0° E 10 km
L 34.8° S 11.8° E 6 km
M 34.3° S 12.5° E 5 km
O 32.5° S 12.9° E 6 km
P 31.8° S 12.8° E 4 km
Q 35.8° S 14.8° E 9 km
R 37.1° S 15.3° E 5 km
S 35.2° S 15.1° E 6 km
T 34.9° S 16.4° E 8 km
U 34.5° S 16.8° E 8 km
W 36.9° S 13.3° E 15 km
X 34.7° S 15.8° E 15 km
Y 37.4° S 13.5° E 28 km
Z 35.1° S 9.6° E 10 km

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gemma Frisius (crater).
  • 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 2007-08-05.
  • Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
  • Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
  • McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 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 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763.
  • Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
  • Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
  • Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
  • Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revision ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
  • Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.