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Fontenelle (crater)
Encyclopedia
Fontenelle is a lunar
crater
that is located along the northern edge of Mare Frigoris
, in the northern part of the Moon
. To the northeast is the remnant of the crater Birmingham
. Due to its location, this crater appears oval in shape when observed from the Earth
because of foreshortening.
The rim of this crater is generally circular, but the edge is irregular and in some locations has a notched appearance. This is particularly true along the southwest and the eastern edges. The rim projects above the surface of the Mare Frigoris, and a wrinkle ridge runs several crater diameters to the southeast from the edge. The western rim is attached to rough terrain to the west and northwest.
The interior of Fontenelle has a wrinkled appearance along the northern rim. There is a low, wide central hill at the mid-point, and some rough ground to the west of this rise. Only a few tiny craterlets mark the surface of the floor.
To the south of Fontenelle on the lunar mare is a tiny crater that is surrounded by a blanket of high albedo
material. This crater displays a resemblance to Linné on Mare Serenitatis
. This feature lies about 15 kilometers north-northwest of Fontenelle G, and lacks a designation.
To the east of this crater is an unusual geometric configuration in the surface with an angular shape. This came to be known as "Mädler's Square", after the lunar selenographer Johann Mädler. It is roughly square in shape, but appears lozenge-shaped due to foreshortening. This feature was noted in many early books concerning 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...
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 along the northern edge of Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris is a lunar mare located just north of Mare Imbrium, and stretches east to north of Mare Serenitatis. The mare is in the outer rings of the Procellarum basin...
, in the northern part 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...
. To the northeast is the remnant of the crater Birmingham
Birmingham (crater)
Birmingham is the surviving remnant of a lunar crater. It is named after the astronomer John Birmingham ....
. Due to its location, this crater appears oval in shape 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...
because of foreshortening.
The rim of this crater is generally circular, but the edge is irregular and in some locations has a notched appearance. This is particularly true along the southwest and the eastern edges. The rim projects above the surface of the Mare Frigoris, and a wrinkle ridge runs several crater diameters to the southeast from the edge. The western rim is attached to rough terrain to the west and northwest.
The interior of Fontenelle has a wrinkled appearance along the northern rim. There is a low, wide central hill at the mid-point, and some rough ground to the west of this rise. Only a few tiny craterlets mark the surface of the floor.
To the south of Fontenelle on the lunar mare is a tiny crater that is surrounded by a blanket of high albedo
Albedo
Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
material. This crater displays a resemblance to Linné on Mare Serenitatis
Mare Serenitatis
Mare Serenitatis is a lunar mare that sits just to the east of Mare Imbrium on the Moon.It is located within the Serenitatis basin, which is of the Nectarian epoch. The material surrounding the mare is of the Lower Imbrian epoch, while the mare material is of the Upper Imbrian epoch...
. This feature lies about 15 kilometers north-northwest of Fontenelle G, and lacks a designation.
To the east of this crater is an unusual geometric configuration in the surface with an angular shape. This came to be known as "Mädler's Square", after the lunar selenographer Johann Mädler. It is roughly square in shape, but appears lozenge-shaped due to foreshortening. This feature was noted in many early books concerning the Moon.
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 Fontenelle.| Fontenelle | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 67.5° N | 16.1° W | 21 km |
| B | 61.9° N | 23.0° W | 14 km |
| C | 64.4° N | 27.2° W | 13 km |
| D | 62.5° N | 23.4° W | 17 km |
| F | 64.4° N | 28.2° W | 11 km |
| G | 59.5° N | 18.3° W | 4 km |
| H | 64.1° N | 20.1° W | 6 km |
| K | 69.6° N | 15.6° W | 7 km |
| L | 66.5° N | 16.6° W | 6 km |
| M | 63.1° N | 28.8° W | 9 km |
| N | 64.0° N | 29.7° W | 8 km |
| P | 64.1° N | 17.2° W | 6 km |
| R | 64.3° N | 18.8° W | 6 km |
| S | 65.3° N | 26.7° W | 7 km |
| T | 66.3° N | 25.7° W | 7 km |
| X | 60.5° N | 27.8° W | 7 km |