Pontécoulant (crater)
Encyclopedia
Pontécoulant is a prominent lunar
impact crater
that is located in the southeastern part of the Moon
. Due to its position, the crater appears foreshortened from the Earth
and it is difficult to observe much detail. Nearby craters include Hanno
just to the northeast, and the comparably sized Helmholtz
due south.
This crater has terraced inner wall that is nearly circular, but with an outward extension to the southeast. The rim is somewhat worn but retains much detail. The crater partly overlies the older and smaller Pontécoulant E along the southern rim, and has several tiny craterlets on the eastern inner wall and one to the southwest.
The inner floor is nearly flat, with some rough ground near the southern rim and some low central peaks located southwest of the mid-point. There is a small but prominent crater located at the center of the floor, and several other tiny craterlets scattered across the inner surface.
The eponym
of this crater is Philippe Gustave Doulcet, le Comte
de Pontécoulant
.
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 is located in the southeastern 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...
. Due to its position, the crater appears foreshortened 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...
and it is difficult to observe much detail. Nearby craters include Hanno
Hanno (crater)
Hanno is a lunar crater that lies near the southeastern limb of the Moon, along the western edge of the Mare Australe. About a crater diameter to the southwest is the prominent crater Pontécoulant....
just to the northeast, and the comparably sized Helmholtz
Helmholtz (lunar crater)
Helmholtz is a lunar impact crater that is located near the south-southeast limb of the Moon. Attached to the south-southeast rim of Helmholtz is the somewhat smaller crater Neumayer. The larger crater Boussingault is nearly attached to the west-southwestern rim.The outer rim of Helmholtz is worn...
due south.
This crater has terraced inner wall that is nearly circular, but with an outward extension to the southeast. The rim is somewhat worn but retains much detail. The crater partly overlies the older and smaller Pontécoulant E along the southern rim, and has several tiny craterlets on the eastern inner wall and one to the southwest.
The inner floor is nearly flat, with some rough ground near the southern rim and some low central peaks located southwest of the mid-point. There is a small but prominent crater located at the center of the floor, and several other tiny craterlets scattered across the inner surface.
The eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
of this crater is Philippe Gustave Doulcet, le Comte
Comte
Comte is a title of Catalan, Occitan and French nobility. In the English language, the title is equivalent to count, a rank in several European nobilities. The corresponding rank in England is earl...
de Pontécoulant
Pontécoulant
Pontécoulant is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
.
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 Pontécoulant.| Pontécoulant | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 57.7° S | 62.9° E | 19 km |
| B | 57.9° S | 58.5° E | 39 km |
| C | 55.6° S | 59.1° E | 30 km |
| D | 60.2° S | 71.9° E | 10 km |
| E | 60.5° S | 64.5° E | 44 km |
| F | 57.4° S | 67.7° E | 60 km |
| G | 57.2° S | 60.1° E | 36 km |
| H | 58.4° S | 65.2° E | 9 km |
| J | 61.6° S | 64.3° E | 39 km |
| K | 61.5° S | 61.0° E | 13 km |
| L | 59.0° S | 59.7° E | 17 km |
| M | 60.8° S | 74.1° E | 10 km |