Plutarch (crater)
Encyclopedia
Plutarch is a lunar
impact crater
that lies near the north-northeastern limb of the Moon
, just to the south of the irregular crater Seneca
. To the southeast is the flooded crater Cannon
. The proximity of this crater to the limb causes it to appear foreshortened when viewed from the Earth
, but it is actually a circular formation.
This crater has a well-defined rim edge that is only slightly eroded. A small crater intrudes slightly into the southwestern rim, and another small crater lies near the south-southeastern rim. The inner wall is unusually wide in the southern half of the crater, with the narrowest section along the northern rim. There is some slumping and terraces formed along the inner sides, and a notable central peak near the mid-point of the interior floor.
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...
that lies near the north-northeastern limb 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...
, just to the south of the irregular crater Seneca
Seneca (crater)
Seneca is a lunar crater that is located towards the east-northeastern limb, less than one crater diameter to the north of Plutarch. To the northwest is the crater Hahn, and due north lies the large walled plain Gauss....
. To the southeast is the flooded crater Cannon
Cannon (crater)
Cannon is a lunar crater that is located near the east-northeastern limb of the Moon's near side. It lies just to the northwest of the Mare Marginis, and south-southeast of the crater Plutarch. Farther to the east-northeast is Hubble....
. The proximity of this crater to the limb causes it to appear foreshortened when viewed 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...
, but it is actually a circular formation.
This crater has a well-defined rim edge that is only slightly eroded. A small crater intrudes slightly into the southwestern rim, and another small crater lies near the south-southeastern rim. The inner wall is unusually wide in the southern half of the crater, with the narrowest section along the northern rim. There is some slumping and terraces formed along the inner sides, and a notable central peak near the mid-point of the interior floor.
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 Plutarch.| Plutarch | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 23.1° N | 71.0° E | 11 km |
| D | 24.3° N | 75.7° E | 15 km |
| F | 23.5° N | 73.5° E | 12 km |
| G | 23.0° N | 75.2° E | 11 km |
| H | 24.4° N | 72.7° E | 11 km |
| K | 25.1° N | 72.8° E | 11 km |
| L | 25.8° N | 71.6° E | 8 km |
| M | 23.8° N | 77.6° E | 11 km |
| N | 23.8° N | 77.1° E | 12 km |