Cavalerius (crater)
Encyclopedia
Cavalerius is a prominent lunar
impact crater
that lies on the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum
lunar mare
on the west part of the visible Moon
. It nearly joins the northern rim of Hevelius
to the south.
The rim of Cavalerius is relatively high, rising to over 3 kilometers in places. There are clefts in the northern and southern parts of the rim and inner walls. Parts of the inner sides are terraced. The interior floor has mixed low hills and level areas. In the mid-point of the crater floor is a low central peak, with neighboring ridges to the north and east.
Northeast of this crater is the site designated Planitia Descensus, the landing site of the Soviet Luna 9
probe, the first vehicle to soft-land on the Moon. It lies among some low ridges along the edge of the Oceanus Procellarum.
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 lies on the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Earth's Moon. Its name derives from the old superstition that its appearance during the second quarter heralded bad weather...
lunar mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
on the west part of the visible 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...
. It nearly joins the northern rim of Hevelius
Hevelius (crater)
Hevelius is a low-rimmed lunar crater that lies at the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum, named after Johannes Hevelius. The smaller but prominent crater Cavalerius is joined to the northern rim by low ridges. Due south of Hevelius is the crater Lohrmann and the dark-hued Grimaldi.Only a low,...
to the south.
The rim of Cavalerius is relatively high, rising to over 3 kilometers in places. There are clefts in the northern and southern parts of the rim and inner walls. Parts of the inner sides are terraced. The interior floor has mixed low hills and level areas. In the mid-point of the crater floor is a low central peak, with neighboring ridges to the north and east.
Northeast of this crater is the site designated Planitia Descensus, the landing site of the Soviet Luna 9
Luna 9
Luna 9 was an unmanned space mission of the Soviet Union's Luna program. On February 3, 1966 the Luna 9 spacecraft was the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on any planetary body other than Earth and to transmit photographic data to Earth.The automatic lunar station that achieved the...
probe, the first vehicle to soft-land on the Moon. It lies among some low ridges along the edge of the Oceanus Procellarum.
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 Cavalerius.| Cavalerius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.5° N | 69.5° W | 14 km |
| B | 6.0° N | 71.0° W | 39 km |
| C | 5.8° N | 69.2° W | 8 km |
| D | 8.6° N | 68.3° W | 52 km |
| E | 7.7° N | 69.9° W | 9 km |
| F | 8.1° N | 65.3° W | 7 km |
| K | 10.3° N | 69.2° W | 10 km |
| L | 10.4° N | 70.2° W | 10 km |
| M | 10.3° N | 71.5° W | 12 km |
| U | 10.1° N | 67.4° W | 7 km |
| W | 6.9° N | 67.3° W | 7 km |
| X | 9.2° N | 66.6° W | 4 km |
| Y | 10.7° N | 69.8° W | 7 km |
| Z | 11.0° N | 69.5° W | 4 km |