Mons Pico
Encyclopedia
Mons Pico is a solitary lunar
mountain that lies in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium
basin, and to the south of the dark-floored crater Plato
. This peak forms part of the surviving inner ring of the Imbrium basin. This ring continues to the northwest and with the Montes Teneriffe
and Montes Recti
ranges. This mountain feature was most likely named by Schröter for the Pico von Teneriffe (Teide
).
The selenographic coordinates of this peak are 45.7° N, 8.9° W. It forms an elongated feature with a length of 25 kilometers (oriented northwest-southeast) and a width of 15 km. The peak rises to a height of only 2.4 km, comparable to the maximum altitude
of the Montes Teneriffe. Due to its isolated location on the lunar mare
, however, this peak can form prominent shadows when illuminated by oblique sunlight.
A smaller peak to the south of Mons Pico is designated Pico Β. This region of the mare is notable for a number of wrinkle ridges.
by Hugh Walters
, their fate is further expanded in the sequels The Domes of Pico
and Operation Columbus
.
Pico is the site of a climactic space battle in Arthur C. Clarke
's novel Earthlight
and mentioned in passing in his novel 3001: The Final Odyssey
and in his short story The Sentinel
.
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...
mountain that lies in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium
Mare Imbrium
Mare Imbrium, Latin for "Sea of Showers" or "Sea of Rains", is a vast lunar mare filling a basin on Earth's Moon and one of the larger craters in the Solar System. Mare Imbrium was created when lava flooded the giant crater formed when a very large object hit the Moon long ago...
basin, and to the south of the dark-floored crater Plato
Plato (crater)
Plato is the lava-filled remains of a lunar impact crater on the moon. It is located on the northeastern shore of the Mare Imbrium, at the western extremity of the Montes Alpes mountain range. In the mare to the south are several rises collectively named the Montes Teneriffe. To the north lies the...
. This peak forms part of the surviving inner ring of the Imbrium basin. This ring continues to the northwest and with the Montes Teneriffe
Montes Teneriffe
Montes Teneriffe is a range on the northern part of the Moon's near side. It was named after Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.This range is located in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium, to the southwest of the crater Plato. The Montes Teneriffe lie within a diameter of about 110 kilometers,...
and Montes Recti
Montes Recti
Montes Recti is a mountain range on the northern part of the Moon's near side. It was given the Latin name for "Straight Range".This is a small range of irregular ridges that is located in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium. Montes Recti is an unusually linear formation that forms a line from...
ranges. This mountain feature was most likely named by Schröter for the Pico von Teneriffe (Teide
Teide
Mount Teide , is a volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands. Its summit is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and it is the third highest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor, after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea located in...
).
The selenographic coordinates of this peak are 45.7° N, 8.9° W. It forms an elongated feature with a length of 25 kilometers (oriented northwest-southeast) and a width of 15 km. The peak rises to a height of only 2.4 km, comparable to the maximum altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of the Montes Teneriffe. Due to its isolated location on 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...
, however, this peak can form prominent shadows when illuminated by oblique sunlight.
A smaller peak to the south of Mons Pico is designated Pico Β. This region of the mare is notable for a number of wrinkle ridges.
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 Mons Pico.| Pico | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 46.5° N | 15.3° W | 12 km |
| C | 47.2° N | 6.6° W | 5 km |
| D | 43.4° N | 11.3° W | 7 km |
| E | 43.0° N | 10.3° W | 9 km |
| F | 42.2° N | 10.2° W | 4 km |
| G | 46.6° N | 10.4° W | 4 km |
| K | 44.6° N | 7.5° W | 3 km |
Pico in fiction
Strange objects appear near Pico in the 1957 science fiction novel Blast Off at WoomeraBlast Off at Woomera
Blast Off at Woomera is a young adult science fiction novel, the first in Hugh Walters' Chris Godfrey of U.N.E.X.A. series. It was published in the UK by Faber in 1957, in the US by Criterion Books in 1958 under the title Blast Off at 0300 and in the Netherlands in 1960 by Prisma Juniores under...
by Hugh Walters
Hugh Walters (author)
Hugh Walters was a writer of juvenile Science Fiction novels from Bradley in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
, their fate is further expanded in the sequels The Domes of Pico
The Domes of Pico
The Domes of Pico is a juvenile science fiction novel, the second in Hugh Walters' Chris Godfrey of U.N.E.X.A. series. It was published in the UK by Faber in 1958, in the US by Criterion Books in 1959 under the title Menace from the Moon and in the Netherlands by Prisma Juniores as 'De Maan Valt...
and Operation Columbus
Operation Columbus
Operation Columbus is a juvenile science fiction novel, the third in Hugh Walters' Chris Godfrey of U.N.E.X.A. series. It was published in the UK by Faber in 1959, in the US by Criterion Books in 1960 under the title First on the Moon, and in the Netherlands by Prisma Juniores as 'Wedloop naar de...
.
Pico is the site of a climactic space battle in Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
's novel Earthlight
Earthlight
Earthlight is a science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, published in 1955. It is an expansion to novel length of a short story that he had published four years earlier.-Overview:...
and mentioned in passing in his novel 3001: The Final Odyssey
3001: The Final Odyssey
3001: The Final Odyssey is a science fiction novel by Sir Arthur C. Clarke. It is the fourth and final book in Clarke's Space Odyssey series.-Plot summary:...
and in his short story The Sentinel
The Sentinel (short story)
"The Sentinel" is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, which was expanded and modified into the novel and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Clarke expressed impatience with the common description of it as "the story on which 2001 is based." He was quoted as saying, it is like comparing "an acorn to...
.