Moon–Southern Mare Nectaris Region

Description:

This image highlights the heavily cratered region that borders the southern end of Mare Nectaris near the south polar area of the Moon. The dominant crater with the central peak in the center of the image is Piccolomini (diamter 54 miles). The partially filled in crater at the upper left of the image is Fracastorius (diameter 77 miles). The distinct circular crater in the lower right of the image is Nicolai (diameter 26 miles).

 Using Nicolai as a benchmark, one can estimate the diameters of several smaller craters down to just a mile or two in diameter. One other notable feature in this image is the meandering, bright snake-like feature that starts at the top of the image and ends with crater Piccolomini. This is Rupes Atai, an escarpment between two distinct geological regions having markedly different elevations. There are several escarpments on Earth.

Image Name:

Moon--Southern Mare Nectaris Region

Date Taken:

January 3, 2009

Location Taken:

Conditions of Location:

Equipment Used:

14.5" Ritchey-Chretien, Lumenera SKYnyx 2.1 camera

Processing Used:

composite of 200 images

Distance from Location:

Constellation:

Other Link:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *