Cusanus (crater)
Encyclopedia
Cusanus is a lunar
impact crater
that is located near the northeastern limb of the Moon
. In this location the crater appears very foreshortened when observed from the Earth
, and its visibility is affected by libration
. The northern rim of Cusanus is nearly joined to the south-southeastern rim of the larger crater Petermann
.
The rim of this crater has been eroded and rounded due to a history of minor impacts. The terraces are still visible along the inner walls, although they are less sharply-defined compared to younger crater formations. A pair of tiny craters form a notch along the eastern rim, and there is a slight inward bulge along the western inner wall.
The interior has been resurfaced with lava
, leaving a flat and relatively featureless floor. But the lava was not of sufficient depth to significantly reduce the width of the inner walls.
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 near the northeastern limb 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...
. In this location the crater appears very foreshortened when observed from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, and its visibility is affected by libration
Libration
In astronomy, libration is an oscillating motion of orbiting bodies relative to each other, notably including the motion of the Moon relative to Earth, or of Trojan asteroids relative to planets.-Lunar libration:...
. The northern rim of Cusanus is nearly joined to the south-southeastern rim of the larger crater Petermann
Petermann (crater)
Petermann is a lunar crater that is located near the northern limb of the Moon, on the eastern hemisphere. It is located about 10 kilometres to the north of the crater Cusanus...
.
The rim of this crater has been eroded and rounded due to a history of minor impacts. The terraces are still visible along the inner walls, although they are less sharply-defined compared to younger crater formations. A pair of tiny craters form a notch along the eastern rim, and there is a slight inward bulge along the western inner wall.
The interior has been resurfaced with lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
, leaving a flat and relatively featureless floor. But the lava was not of sufficient depth to significantly reduce the width of the inner walls.
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 Cusanus.| Cusanus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 70.6° N | 64.0° E | 16 km |
| B | 70.1° N | 64.5° E | 21 km |
| C | 70.4° N | 60.8° E | 25 km |
| E | 72.0° N | 72.3° E | 10 km |
| F | 70.7° N | 73.3° E | 10 km |
| G | 69.9° N | 76.9° E | 10 km |
| H | 69.4° N | 59.4° E | 8 km |