Ibn Battuta (crater)
Encyclopedia
Ibn Battuta is a small lunar
crater
on the Mare Fecunditatis
, a lunar mare
in the eastern part of the Moon
's near side. It lies to the southwest of the crater Lindbergh
, and northeast of the prominent Goclenius
.
The mare to the south and west of Ibn Battuta contains a number of ghost crater
formations, consisting of crater rims that have been submerged by lava
flows and now form ring-shaped projections in the surface. These are best observed under conditions of oblique lighting, when the terminator still lies on or near the Mare Fecunditatis.
The crater is circular and symmetrical, with a wide interior floor. The sloping inner walls have a slightly higher albedo
than the surrounding mare, but the interior floor is the same dark shade as the exterior of the crater. There is a tiny craterlet on the floor near the western rim, but otherwise no significant markings.
This crater was formerly designated Goclenius A before being given its current name by the IAU
. It is named after the traveller and writer Ibn Battuta
.
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...
on the Mare Fecunditatis
Mare Fecunditatis
Mare Fecunditatis is a lunar mare which is 840 km in diameter. The Fecuditatis basin formed in the Pre-Nectarian epoch, while the basin material surrounding the mare is of the...
, a 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...
in the eastern 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...
's near side. It lies to the southwest of the crater Lindbergh
Lindbergh (crater)
Lindbergh is a small lunar crater that is located in the western part of the Mare Fecunditatis. It lies to the west of the flooded crater Bilharz, and northeast of Ibn Battuta. Lindbergh was previously designated Messier G before being given its name by the IAU...
, and northeast of the prominent Goclenius
Goclenius (crater)
Goclenius is a lunar crater that is located near the west edge of Mare Fecunditatis. It lies to the southeast of the lava-flooded crater Gutenberg, and north of Magelhaens. To the northwest is a parallel rille system that follow a course toward the northwest, running for a length of up to 240...
.
The mare to the south and west of Ibn Battuta contains a number of ghost crater
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
formations, consisting of crater rims that have been submerged by 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...
flows and now form ring-shaped projections in the surface. These are best observed under conditions of oblique lighting, when the terminator still lies on or near the Mare Fecunditatis.
The crater is circular and symmetrical, with a wide interior floor. The sloping inner walls have a slightly higher 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...
than the surrounding mare, but the interior floor is the same dark shade as the exterior of the crater. There is a tiny craterlet on the floor near the western rim, but otherwise no significant markings.
This crater was formerly designated Goclenius A before being given its current name by the IAU
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
. It is named after the traveller and writer Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
.