Isidorus is a lunar impact crater that is located to the north of the Mare Nectaris, on the eastern half of the Moon's near side. It was named after Spanish astronomer Saint Isidore of Seville.[1] It forms a pair with the slightly larger Capella, which is attached to the east-northeastern rim. To the west-southwest across the lunar mare are Mädler and the prominent Theophilus.
 Apollo 16 image | |
| Coordinates | 8°00′S 33°30′E / 8.0°S 33.5°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 42 km |
| Depth | 1.6 km |
| Colongitude | 327° at sunrise |
| Eponym | St. Isidore |
The rim of Isidorus is circular and somewhat eroded, with several tiny craterlets lying across the northern rim. The interior floor has been resurfaced by lava and is generally level, although it is marked by the small, bowl-shaped crater Isidorus A along the western rim. There is a tiny remnant of a craterlet attached to the northern rim of the latter formation.
Satellite craters
editBy convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Isidorus.
| Isidorus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 8.0° S | 33.2° E | 10 km |
| B | 4.5° S | 33.0° E | 30 km |
| C | 4.8° S | 31.7° E | 9 km |
| D | 4.2° S | 34.1° E | 15 km |
| E | 5.3° S | 32.6° E | 15 km |
| F | 8.7° S | 34.2° E | 20 km |
| G | 6.4° S | 31.6° E | 7 km |
| H | 3.9° S | 32.6° E | 7 km |
| K | 8.9° S | 33.3° E | 7 km |
| U | 7.9° S | 31.5° E | 6 km |
| V | 8.9° S | 30.8° E | 4 km |
| W | 9.4° S | 32.3° E | 4 km |
References
edit- ^ "Isidorus (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
External links
edit- Lunar Photo of the Day, "Land of Manna", October 5, 2006, showing the region around Isidorus and Capella
