Catalán (crater)
Encyclopedia
Catalán is a small lunar
impact crater
that lies almost along the southwest limb of the Moon
. At this position the crater is ill-suited for observation from the Earth
as it is viewed almost from the side, and visibility is subject to libration
effects. It lies to the west of the somewhat larger crater Baade
, and south-southeast of Graff
. This region is located in the outer southeastern part of the skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale
impact basin, and the nearby surface is rugged and streaky.
This is a somewhat irregular crater, although in general form it is circular. The rim is sharp-edged and displays little appearance of erosion. Sections of the inner wall appear to have slumped along the north and southeast, forming notches in the rim. The interior floor is rough and irregular, with no central peak of note.
Due west of Catalán, the satellite craters Catalán A and the smaller Catalán B form a joined pair, with each having a sharp rim and a bowl-shaped interior. To the northwest of Catalán A is the nearly symmetrical, bowl-shaped Catalán U.
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 almost along the southwest 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...
. At this position the crater is ill-suited for observation 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...
as it is viewed almost from the side, and visibility is subject to libration
Libration
In astronomy, libration is an oscillating motion of orbiting bodies relative to each other, notably including the motion of the Moon relative to Earth, or of Trojan asteroids relative to planets.-Lunar libration:...
effects. It lies to the west of the somewhat larger crater Baade
Baade (crater)
Baade is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southwest limb of the Moon on the near side, to the southwest of the enormous Mare Orientale impact basin. The area to the east of this crater forms the junction between the 280-km-long Vallis Bouvard to the north and the narrower,...
, and south-southeast of Graff
Graff (lunar crater)
Graff is a small lunar crater that lies along the southwestern limb of the Moon. It is located to the west of the Vallis Bouvard depression in the southern part of the ejecta blanket that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin...
. This region is located in the outer southeastern part of the skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale is one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bull's-eye. Located on the extreme western edge of the lunar nearside, this impact basin is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective.Material from this basin was not sampled by the Apollo program...
impact basin, and the nearby surface is rugged and streaky.
This is a somewhat irregular crater, although in general form it is circular. The rim is sharp-edged and displays little appearance of erosion. Sections of the inner wall appear to have slumped along the north and southeast, forming notches in the rim. The interior floor is rough and irregular, with no central peak of note.
Due west of Catalán, the satellite craters Catalán A and the smaller Catalán B form a joined pair, with each having a sharp rim and a bowl-shaped interior. To the northwest of Catalán A is the nearly symmetrical, bowl-shaped Catalán U.
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 Catalán.| Catalán | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 45.7° S | 89.2° W | 21 km |
| B | 45.6° S | 88.4° W | 14 km |
| U | 45.1° S | 90.6° W | 20 km |