La Caille (crater)
Encyclopedia
La Caille is a lunar
crater
located in the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon
. It is located to the northeast of the crater Purbach
. Nearly attached to the southeast rim are the remains of Blanchinus
, and the two are separated by a rugged stretch of terrain. To the northeast is Delaunay
, a formation split in half by a ridge.
The floor of La Caille has been flooded in the past by lava
, and the surface is relatively smooth and flat with no central rise. Only a few tiny craterlets along the north and northwest edges disrupt the surface. Ray material
lies across the central and southern parts of the floor, most likely from Tycho
to the southwest.
The rim of this crater is heavily worn and battered, with notches around the interior edge and craters across the top and along the exterior. The most notable of these is La Caille B which lies across the eastern rim.
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...
located in the rugged south-central highlands 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...
. It is located to the northeast of the crater Purbach
Purbach (crater)
Purbach is a large lunar crater located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. The distorted crater Regiomontanus is attached to the southern rim. To the northwest is Thebit and just to the northeast lies La Caille....
. Nearly attached to the southeast rim are the remains of Blanchinus
Blanchinus (crater)
Blanchinus is a lunar crater that is situated in the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon. Adjacent to the south of Blanchinus is the crater Werner, and La Caille is attached to the northwest rim...
, and the two are separated by a rugged stretch of terrain. To the northeast is Delaunay
Delaunay (crater)
Delaunay is a lunar crater. The craters La Caille to the southwest and Faye to the northeast border on the outer rim of Delaunay. Further to the northwest is the prominent Arzachel....
, a formation split in half by a ridge.
The floor of La Caille has been flooded in the past 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...
, and the surface is relatively smooth and flat with no central rise. Only a few tiny craterlets along the north and northwest edges disrupt the surface. Ray material
Ray system
A ray system comprises radial streaks of fine ejecta thrown out during the formation of an impact crater, looking a bit like many thin spokes coming from the hub of a wheel. The rays can extend for lengths up to several times the diameter of their originating crater, and are often accompanied by...
lies across the central and southern parts of the floor, most likely from Tycho
Tycho (crater)
Tycho is a prominent lunar impact crater located in the southern lunar highlands, named after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe . To the south is the crater Street; to the east is Pictet, and to the north-northeast is Sasserides. The surface around Tycho is replete with craters of various sizes,...
to the southwest.
The rim of this crater is heavily worn and battered, with notches around the interior edge and craters across the top and along the exterior. The most notable of these is La Caille B which lies across the eastern rim.
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 La Caille.| la Caille | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 22.8° S | 0.4° E | 8 km |
| B | 20.9° S | 1.4° E | 7 km |
| C | 21.2° S | 1.4° E | 15 km |
| D | 23.6° S | 2.2° E | 12 km |
| E | 23.5° S | 2.8° E | 27 km |
| F | 23.6° S | 3.4° E | 8 km |
| G | 20.5° S | 2.0° E | 11 km |
| H | 24.7° S | 0.8° E | 6 km |
| J | 22.5° S | 0.9° E | 5 km |
| K | 21.0° S | 0.6° E | 30 km |
| L | 24.6° S | 1.4° E | 5 km |
| M | 22.3° S | 1.6° E | 15 km |
| N | 21.9° S | 1.3° E | 10 km |
| P | 22.5° S | 0.0° E | 25 km |