Heraclitus (crater)
Encyclopedia
Heraclitus is a complex lunar
crater
that lies in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon
. The crater Licetus
forms the northern end of the formation. Just to the east is Cuvier
, and due south is Lilius
. Just to the west of Heraclitus is the small satellite crater Heraclitus K, to the south of which is a pair of larger overlapping craters, Lilius E and Lilius D.
The entire formation is heavily worn, with features smoothed down by a long history of impacts. Heraclitus is a complex formation composed of three sections divided by a triple-armed interior ridge. Of the three sections, the most eroded and irregular is at the eastern end where the outer rim forms a low ridge that joins to Cuvier.
The circular southwest end is the most intact section, forming the circular satellite crater Heraclitus D, which is attached to the other two sections along the northeast rim. There are a pair of ghost-crater
rims on the floor, and a low ridge in the southwest. The crater is 90 kilometers in diameter and 3.8 kilometers deep. It may be from the Pre-Imbrian period
, which lasted from 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago.
It is named after the 6th-century BC Greek
philosopher Heraclitus
.
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...
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 in the rugged southern 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...
. The crater Licetus
Licetus (crater)
Licetus is a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon, in the rugged southern highland region. It lies to the south of the walled plain Stöfler, and is attached to the northern rim of the sub-divided crater Heraclitus. Just to the southeast is Cuvier. Licetus is 75 kilometers in diameter...
forms the northern end of the formation. Just to the east is Cuvier
Cuvier (crater)
Cuvier is a lunar crater on the southern part of the Moon's near side. It is attached to the east-southeast rim of the unusually shaped formation Heraclitus. To the northeast is the crater Clairaut....
, and due south is Lilius
Lilius (crater)
Lilius is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. It lies to the north of the crater Zach, and south-southwest of Cuvier. Just to the southeast is the slightly larger Jacobi...
. Just to the west of Heraclitus is the small satellite crater Heraclitus K, to the south of which is a pair of larger overlapping craters, Lilius E and Lilius D.
The entire formation is heavily worn, with features smoothed down by a long history of impacts. Heraclitus is a complex formation composed of three sections divided by a triple-armed interior ridge. Of the three sections, the most eroded and irregular is at the eastern end where the outer rim forms a low ridge that joins to Cuvier.
The circular southwest end is the most intact section, forming the circular satellite crater Heraclitus D, which is attached to the other two sections along the northeast rim. There are a pair of ghost-crater
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
rims on the floor, and a low ridge in the southwest. The crater is 90 kilometers in diameter and 3.8 kilometers deep. It may be from the Pre-Imbrian period
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...
, which lasted from 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago.
It is named after the 6th-century BC Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
philosopher Heraclitus
Heraclitus
Heraclitus of Ephesus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom...
.
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 Heraclitus.| Heraclitus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 49.3° S | 4.7° E | 6 km |
| C | 48.8° S | 6.3° E | 7 km |
| D | 50.4° S | 5.2° E | 52 km |
| E | 49.7° S | 6.7° E | 7 km |
| K | 49.5° S | 3.5° E | 17 km |