Donati (crater)
Encyclopedia
Donati is a lunar
impact crater
that is located in the rugged south-central highlands of the Moon
. It lies just to the northwest of the crater Faye
, and the two outer rims are separated by a gap of less than 10 kilometers. To the north is the comparably sized Airy
, and farther to the southeast is Playfair
. Donati is 36 kilometers in diameter.
The outer wall of Donati has been eroded by subsequent impacts, particularly in the south and east, where craterlets overlie the rim. The distorted northern rim is joined with the irregularly shaped satellite crater Airy C. The inner floor of Donati is irregular and marked by small craters, particularly in the south and southwest. At the mid-point of the interior is a central rise. The crater is from the Pre-Imbrian
period, 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago.
It is named after the 19th-century Italian
astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati
.
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 rugged south-central highlands 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...
. It lies just to the northwest of the crater Faye
Faye (crater)
Faye is a heavily eroded lunar crater in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. It is attached to the northeastern rim of the crater Delaunay, with Donati located just a few kilometers to the northeast...
, and the two outer rims are separated by a gap of less than 10 kilometers. To the north is the comparably sized Airy
Airy (lunar crater)
Airy is a lunar impact crater located in the southern highlands. It is named in honour of British astronomer George Biddell Airy. It forms the southern-most member of a chain of craters consisting of Vogel, Argelander, and Airy. A little further to the south lies Donati. Airy has a worn, and...
, and farther to the southeast is Playfair
Playfair (lunar crater)
Playfair is a lunar crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands on the near side of the Moon. It lies along the eastern rim of the eroded satellite crater Playfair G, a formation that is almost twice the diameter of Playfair itself...
. Donati is 36 kilometers in diameter.
The outer wall of Donati has been eroded by subsequent impacts, particularly in the south and east, where craterlets overlie the rim. The distorted northern rim is joined with the irregularly shaped satellite crater Airy C. The inner floor of Donati is irregular and marked by small craters, particularly in the south and southwest. At the mid-point of the interior is a central rise. The crater is from the Pre-Imbrian
Lunar geologic timescale
The lunar geological timescale divides the history of Earth's Moon into five generally recognized periods: the Copernican, Eratosthenian, Imbrian , Nectarian, and Pre-Nectarian...
period, 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago.
It is named after the 19th-century Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati
Giovanni Battista Donati
Giovanni Battista Donati ; 16 December 1826, Pisa, Italy – 20 September 1873, Florence, Italy) was an Italian astronomer.Donati graduated from the university of his native city, Pisa, and afterwards joined the staff of the Observatory of Florence in 1852...
.
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 Donati.| Donati | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 19.6° S | 4.5° E | 9 km |
| B | 20.4° S | 5.7° E | 11 km |
| C | 19.9° S | 3.4° E | 8 km |
| D | 22.1° S | 5.8° E | 5 km |
| K | 21.1° S | 6.8° E | 13 km |