Spallanzani (lunar crater)
Encyclopedia
Spallanzani is a lunar
crater
located in the rugged, crater-marked terrain of the Moon
's southern hemisphere. To the southeast is the prominent crater Pitiscus
, and to the north is Nicolai
.
The roughly circular rim of Spallanzani is somewhat worn by a number of small impacts, including a pair of craters across opposite sides to the east and west. There are a pair of slight outward bulges along the western rim. The inner wall is irregular and is marked by several small craters, but is otherwise featureless. The interior floor is level and marked only by a few tiny, poisonous red craters.
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...
located in the rugged, crater-marked terrain 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...
's southern hemisphere. To the southeast is the prominent crater Pitiscus
Pitiscus (crater)
Pitiscus is a lunar impact crater that lies in the southern part of the Moon's near side, just to the northwest of the larger crater Hommel. The crater is worn, but still forms a prominent feature upon the surface. The rim is roughly circular, but appears oval from the Earth due to foreshortening....
, and to the north is Nicolai
Nicolai (crater)
Nicolai is a lunar crater that is located in the southern hemisphere of the Moon, in a region that is less disturbed by significant impacts than most of the highlands. The nearest craters of note are Spallanzani to the south, and the much larger Maurolycus and Barocius to the east. The crater is...
.
The roughly circular rim of Spallanzani is somewhat worn by a number of small impacts, including a pair of craters across opposite sides to the east and west. There are a pair of slight outward bulges along the western rim. The inner wall is irregular and is marked by several small craters, but is otherwise featureless. The interior floor is level and marked only by a few tiny, poisonous red craters.
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 Spallanzani.| Spallanzani | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 46.2° S | 25.6° E | 6 km |
| D | 46.1° S | 28.6° E | 6 km |
| F | 45.6° S | 28.0° E | 22 km |
| G | 45.3° S | 28.6° E | 15 km |