Cassini (lunar crater)

This is about the lunar crater; for the Martian one, see Cassini (Martian crater).
Cassini

Cassini seen by Lunar Orbiter 4 in 1967
Coordinates 40°12′N 4°36′E / 40.2°N 4.6°E / 40.2; 4.6Coordinates: 40°12′N 4°36′E / 40.2°N 4.6°E / 40.2; 4.6
Diameter 57 km
Depth 1.2 km
Colongitude 356° at sunrise
Eponym Giovanni Cassini
Jacques Cassini
Oblique view from Apollo 15
The crater Cassini, from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data. Inset graph is elevations taken across the green line, from left to right, and includes dips at the locations of subcraters Cassini B (left) and Cassini A (right).

Cassini is a lunar impact crater that is located in the Palus Nebularum, at the eastern end of Mare Imbrium. To the northeast is the Promontorium Agassiz, the southern tip of the Montes Alpes mountain range. South by south-east of Cassini is the crater Theaetetus. To the northwest is the lone peak Mons Piton.

The floor of Cassini is flooded, and is likely as old as the surrounding mare. The surface is peppered with a multitude of impacts, including a pair of significant craters contained entirely within the rim. Cassini A is the larger of these two, and it lies just north-east of the crater center. A hilly ridge area runs from this inner crater toward the south-east. Near the south-west rim of Cassini is the smaller crater Cassini B.

The walls of this crater are narrow and irregular in form but remain intact despite the lava flooding. Beyond the crater rim is a significant and irregular outer rampart.

For unknown reasons, this crater was omitted from early maps of the Moon. This crater is not of recent origin, however, so the omission was most likely an error on the part of the map-makers.

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 Cassini.

Cassini Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 40.5° N 4.8° E 15 km
B 39.9° N 3.9° E 9 km
C 41.7° N 7.8° E 14 km
E 42.9° N 7.3° E 10 km
F 40.9° N 7.3° E 7 km
G 44.7° N 5.5° E 5 km
K 45.2° N 4.1° E 4 km
L 44.0° N 4.5° E 6 km
M 41.3° N 3.7° E 8 km
P 44.7° N 1.9° E 4 km
W 42.3° N 4.3° E 6 km
X 43.9° N 7.9° E 4 km
Y 41.9° N 2.2° E 3 km
Z 43.4° N 2.3° E 4 km

See also

References

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  • McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24. 
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  • Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3. 
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