Fracastorius (crater)
Encyclopedia
Fracastorius is the lava
-flooded remnant of an ancient lunar
impact crater
located at the southern edge of Mare Nectaris
. To the northwest of this formation lies the crater Beaumont
, while to the northeast is Rosse
.
The northern wall of this crater is missing, with only mounds appearing in the lunar mare
to mark the outline. The lava that formed Mare Nectaris
also invaded this crater, so the structure now forms a bay-like extension. The remainder of the rim is heavily worn and covered in lesser impact craters, leaving little of the original rim intact. The maximum elevation of the rim is 2.4 km. The most prominent of these craters is Fractastorius D, which overlies a portion of the western rim.
Fracastorius has no central peak, but a long, slender rille
runs across the middle of the floor in a generally east-west direction.
The crater commemorates the Italian scholar, astronomer and poet Girolamo Fracastoro, "Fracastorius"
(1478‑1553).
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...
-flooded remnant of an ancient lunar
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...
located at the southern edge of Mare Nectaris
Mare Nectaris
The Sea of Nectar is a small lunar mare or sea located between the Sea of Tranquillity and the Sea of Fecundity . Montes Pyrenaeus borders the mare to the west and the large crater near the south center of the mare is known as Rosse...
. To the northwest of this formation lies the crater Beaumont
Beaumont (crater)
Beaumont is a lava-flooded crater located on the southwestern shore of the Mare Nectaris on Earth's Moon. It lies to the northwest of the similarly flooded crater remnant Fracastorius. To the west is the prominent crater Catharina....
, while to the northeast is Rosse
Rosse (crater)
Rosse is a bowl-shaped lunar impact crater located in the southern part of Mare Nectaris. To the southwest is the large, flooded crater Fracastorius....
.
The northern wall of this crater is missing, with only mounds appearing in the 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...
to mark the outline. The lava that formed Mare Nectaris
Mare Nectaris
The Sea of Nectar is a small lunar mare or sea located between the Sea of Tranquillity and the Sea of Fecundity . Montes Pyrenaeus borders the mare to the west and the large crater near the south center of the mare is known as Rosse...
also invaded this crater, so the structure now forms a bay-like extension. The remainder of the rim is heavily worn and covered in lesser impact craters, leaving little of the original rim intact. The maximum elevation of the rim is 2.4 km. The most prominent of these craters is Fractastorius D, which overlies a portion of the western rim.
Fracastorius has no central peak, but a long, slender rille
Rille
Rille is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the lunar surface that resemble channels. Typically a rille can be up to several kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers in length...
runs across the middle of the floor in a generally east-west direction.
The crater commemorates the Italian scholar, astronomer and poet Girolamo Fracastoro, "Fracastorius"
Girolamo Fracastoro
Girolamo Fracastoro was an Italian physician, poet, and scholar in mathematics, geography and astronomy. Fracastoro subscribed to the philosophy of atomism, and rejected appeals to hidden causes in scientific investigation....
(1478‑1553).
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 Fracastorius.| Fracastorius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 24.4° S | 36.5° E | 18 km |
| B | 22.5° S | 37.2° E | 27 km |
| C | 24.6° S | 34.6° E | 16 km |
| D | 21.8° S | 30.9° E | 28 km |
| E | 20.2° S | 31.0° E | 13 km |
| G | 21.2° S | 38.3° E | 16 km |
| H | 20.7° S | 30.6° E | 21 km |
| J | 20.8° S | 37.4° E | 12 km |
| K | 25.4° S | 34.7° E | 17 km |
| L | 20.6° S | 33.2° E | 5 km |
| M | 21.7° S | 32.9° E | 4 km |
| N | 23.2° S | 34.0° E | 10 km |
| P | 25.5° S | 33.3° E | 8 km |
| Q | 25.1° S | 33.2° E | 8 km |
| R | 23.8° S | 33.7° E | 5 km |
| S | 19.0° S | 31.9° E | 5 km |
| T | 19.8° S | 37.4° E | 14 km |
| W | 22.6° S | 35.7° E | 7 km |
| X | 23.0° S | 31.1° E | 7 km |
| Y | 23.0° S | 32.0° E | 12 km |
| Z | 24.8° S | 33.6° E | 9 km |