Pytheas (crater) explained
Pytheas is a small lunar impact crater located on the southern part of the Mare Imbrium, to the south of the crater Lambert. It was named after ancient Greek navigator and geographer Pytheas of Massalia.
It has a sharply defined rim, a hummocky outer rampart, and an irregular interior due to slumping or fall-back. There is a small crater along the northern outer rampart, and a similar crater about 20 km to the west. The crater possesses a small ray system that extends for a radius of about 50 kilometers. It is surrounded by lunar mare that is dusted with ray material from Copernicus to the south.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Pytheas.
| Pytheas | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|
| A | 20.5° N | 21.7° W | 6 km |
| B | 17.5° N | 19.4° W | 4 km |
| C | 18.8° N | 19.1° W | 4 km |
| D | 21.1° N | 20.5° W | 5 km |
| E | 18.1° N | 19.0° W | 4 km |
| F | 16.5° N | 19.1° W | 5 km |
| G | 21.6° N | 17.7° W | 4 km |
| H | 20.5° N | 16.5° W | 3 km |
| J | 21.6° N | 21.1° W | 3 km |
| K | 19.9° N | 16.2° W | 2 km |
| L | 18.6° N | 16.9° W | 3 km |
| M | 19.9° N | 17.7° W | 3 km |
| N | 22.5° N | 20.5° W | 3 km |
| U | 21.7° N | 19.4° W | 3 km |
| W | 21.7° N | 23.7° W | 3 km | |
References
- Book: Andersson . L. E. . Whitaker . E. A. . Ewen Whitaker . 1982 . NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature . NASA RP-1097 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006125838/http://planet4589.org/astro/lunar/RP-1097.pdf . 2014-10-06.
- Book: Bussey . B. . Ben Bussey . Spudis . P. . Paul Spudis . 2004 . The Clementine Atlas of the Moon . . New York . 978-0-521-81528-4 .
- Book: Cocks . Elijah E. . Cocks . Josiah C. . 1995 . Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature . Tudor Publishers . 978-0-936389-27-1 .
- Web site: McDowell . Jonathan . July 15, 2007 . Lunar Nomenclature . . 2007-10-24 .
- Menzel. D. H.. Minnaert. M.. Levin. B.. Dollfus. A.. Bell. B.. Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU. 10.1007/BF00171763. Space Science Reviews. 12. 2. 136–186. 1971. 1971SSRv...12..136M. 122125855.
- Book: Moore
, Patrick
. Patrick Moore . 2001 . On the Moon . . 978-0-304-35469-6 .
- Book: Price
, Fred W.
. 1988 . The Moon Observer's Handbook . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-33500-3 .
- Book: Rükl
, Antonín
. Antonín Rükl . 1990 . Atlas of the Moon . . 978-0-913135-17-4 .
- Book: Webb
, Rev. T. W.
. Thomas William Webb . 1962 . Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes . 6th revised . Dover . 978-0-486-20917-3 .
- Book: Whitaker
, Ewen A.
. Ewen Whitaker . 2003 . Mapping and Naming the Moon . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-54414-6 .
- Book: Observing the Moon . Wlasuk, Peter T. . 2000 . . 978-1-852-33193-1.
External links
- Pytheas at The Moon Wiki
- Oblique Apollo 15 image of Pytheas: AS15-92-12576
- Web site: LTO-40D2 Pytheas . L&PI topographic map . November 4, 2005.
- LROC page: Pytheas
- Web site: Wood . Chuck . March 2, 2006 . Rays and Pitts . Lunar Photo of the Day . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110614233616/http://www.lpod.org/?m=20060302. June 14, 2011.
- Web site: Wood . Chuck . June 23, 2006 . Mare Layering . Lunar Photo of the Day . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110614233616/http://www.lpod.org/?m=20060623. June 14, 2011.
