Aliacensis (crater)
Encyclopedia
Aliacensis is a lunar
impact crater
that is located in the rugged southern highlands
of the Moon
. The crater Werner
is located just to the north-northwest, and a narrow, rugged valley lies between the two comparably sized formations. To the southwest is Walther
, and Apianus
is to the northeast. The crater is named after 14th century French
geographer and theologian Pierre d'Ailly
. It is from the Nectarian
period, which lasted from 3.92 to 3.85 billion years ago.
The rim of Aliacensis is generally circular, with an outward bulge on the eastern wall. The inner wall has some slight terracing particularly in the northeast. There is a small crater located across the southern rim. The interior floor is generally flat, with a low central peak slightly offset to the northwest of the mid-point. South of it lie two somewhat broken rings, Kaiser and Nonius. It is 52 kilometers in diameter and there is a 3.7 kilometer difference in height between its deepest part and its rim.
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
that is located in the rugged southern highlands
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...
of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. The crater Werner
Werner (crater)
Werner is a prominent lunar impact crater that lies in the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon. It is almost joined with the crater Aliacensis to the southeast, and the pair form a rugged valley in the intervening gap. Due west of Werner is the distorted Regiomontanus, and to the north is...
is located just to the north-northwest, and a narrow, rugged valley lies between the two comparably sized formations. To the southwest is Walther
Walther (crater)
Walther is an ancient lunar impact crater located in the southern highland region of the Moon. It is joined along the western rim to the crater Deslandres...
, and Apianus
Apianus (crater)
Apianus is a lunar impact crater that is located on the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon. It is located to the northeast of the crater Aliacensis, and to the northwest of Poisson...
is to the northeast. The crater is named after 14th century French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
geographer and theologian Pierre d'Ailly
Pierre d'Ailly
Pierre d'Ailly was a French theologian, astrologer, and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church....
. It is from the Nectarian
Nectarian
The Nectarian Period of the lunar geologic timescale runs from 3920 million years ago to 3850 million years ago. It is the period during which the Nectaris Basin and other major basins were formed by large impact events...
period, which lasted from 3.92 to 3.85 billion years ago.
The rim of Aliacensis is generally circular, with an outward bulge on the eastern wall. The inner wall has some slight terracing particularly in the northeast. There is a small crater located across the southern rim. The interior floor is generally flat, with a low central peak slightly offset to the northwest of the mid-point. South of it lie two somewhat broken rings, Kaiser and Nonius. It is 52 kilometers in diameter and there is a 3.7 kilometer difference in height between its deepest part and its rim.
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 Aliacensis.| Aliacensis | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 29.7° S | 7.4° E | 14 km |
| B | 31.3° S | 3.2° E | 16 km |
| C | 32.6° S | 5.4° E | 8 km |
| D | 33.1° S | 6.9° E | 10 km |
| E | 30.4° S | 2.3° E | 9 km |
| F | 32.7° S | 3.9° E | 5 km |
| G | 33.3° S | 4.7° E | 8 km |
| H | 31.8° S | 6.1° E | 6 km |
| K | 31.4° S | 6.2° E | 7 km |
| W | 31.9° S | 5.3° E | 11 km |
| X | 29.6° S | 6.9° E | 4 km |
| Y | 30.1° S | 7.4° E | 5 km |
| Z | 30.0° S | 4.6° E | 4 km |