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Protagoras (crater)
Encyclopedia
Protagoras is a lunar
impact crater
that is located on the Mare Frigoris
in the northern part of the Moon
. To the north-northwest is the slightly larger crater Archytas
, and to the southeast is the prominent Aristoteles
.
The rim of Protagoras is circular and rises above the surrounding flat terrain, although the rim dips down along the southwestern edge. The interior floor contains a few light markings but no formations of interest. There is an area of rough terrain just to the east of this crater, but the surroundings are otherwise level with only a few small craters in the vicinity.
The crater is named for the Greek sophist
Protagoras
of Abdera.
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 on the Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris
Mare Frigoris is a lunar mare located just north of Mare Imbrium, and stretches east to north of Mare Serenitatis. The mare is in the outer rings of the Procellarum basin...
in the northern part 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...
. To the north-northwest is the slightly larger crater Archytas
Archytas (crater)
Archytas is a lunar impact crater that protrudes into the northern edge of Mare Frigoris. To the northwest is the comparably sized crater Timaeus, and the smaller Protagoras lies in the opposite direction to the southeast...
, and to the southeast is the prominent Aristoteles
Aristoteles (crater)
Aristoteles is a lunar impact crater that lies near the southern edge of the Mare Frigoris and to the east of the Montes Alpes mountain range. To the south of Aristoteles lies the slightly smaller crater Eudoxus and these two form a distinctive pair for a telescope observer. An arc of mountains...
.
The rim of Protagoras is circular and rises above the surrounding flat terrain, although the rim dips down along the southwestern edge. The interior floor contains a few light markings but no formations of interest. There is an area of rough terrain just to the east of this crater, but the surroundings are otherwise level with only a few small craters in the vicinity.
The crater is named for the Greek sophist
Sophism
Sophism in the modern definition is a specious argument used for deceiving someone. In ancient Greece, sophists were a category of teachers who specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric for the purpose of teaching aretê — excellence, or virtue — predominantly to young statesmen and...
Protagoras
Protagoras
Protagoras was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher and is numbered as one of the sophists by Plato. In his dialogue Protagoras, Plato credits him with having invented the role of the professional sophist or teacher of virtue...
of Abdera.
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 Protagoras.| Protagoras | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 56.3° N | 5.7° E | 4 km |
| E | 49.5° N | 0.5° E | 6 km |