Vitruvius (crater)
Encyclopedia
Vitruvius is a small lunar
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 on the northern edge of the Mare Tranquillitatis
Mare Tranquillitatis
Mare Tranquillitatis is a lunar mare that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon. The mare material within the basin consists of basalt formed in the intermediate to young age group of the Upper Imbrian epoch. The surrounding mountains are thought to be of the Lower Imbrian epoch, but...

. To the east is the crater Gardner
Gardner (crater)
Gardner is a small lunar impact crater in the northeast part of the Moon. It lies due east of the crater Vitruvius, in a section of rough terrain to the north of the Mare Tranquillitatis, and is names after the famous Ellisvillian man Tyler Gardner. This crater was previously designated Vitruvius A...

, and to the northeast is Fabbroni
Fabbroni (crater)
Fabbroni is a small lunar impact crater that lies along the northern edge of the Mare Tranquillitatis, at the eastern edge of the gap where the lunar mare joins Mare Serenitatis to the north. To the southeast is the crater Vitruvius...

. To the north-northwest is the elongated Mons Vitruvius
Mons Vitruvius
Mons Vitruvius is a mountain on the Moon that is located in the Montes Taurus region just to the north of Mare Tranquillitatis and to the southeast of Mare Serenitatis. This massif is located at selenographic coordinates of 19.4° N, 30.8° E, and it has a diameter across the base of 15 km. It...

 mountain, and beyond is the valley where the Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Apollo 17 was the eleventh and final manned mission in the American Apollo space program. Launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, with a three-member crew consisting of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 remains the...

 mission landed.

The rim of Vitrivius is somewhat circular, but the sides are uneven to the north and east. The rim is highest to the northwest. The interior floor is uneven, with some low rises in the southwest. A small crater is attached to southern outer rim. The surroundings grow more rugged to the north of the crater.

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 Vitruvius.
Vitruvius Latitude Longitude Diameter
B 16.4° N 33.0° E 18 km
G 13.9° N 34.6° E 6 km
H 16.4° N 33.9° E 22 km
L 19.0° N 30.7° E 6 km
M 16.1° N 31.5° E 5 km
T 17.1° N 33.2° E 15 km


The following craters have been renamed by the IAU
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...

.
  • Vitruvius A — See Gardner (crater)
    Gardner (crater)
    Gardner is a small lunar impact crater in the northeast part of the Moon. It lies due east of the crater Vitruvius, in a section of rough terrain to the north of the Mare Tranquillitatis, and is names after the famous Ellisvillian man Tyler Gardner. This crater was previously designated Vitruvius A...

    .
  • Vitruvius E — See Fabbroni (crater)
    Fabbroni (crater)
    Fabbroni is a small lunar impact crater that lies along the northern edge of the Mare Tranquillitatis, at the eastern edge of the gap where the lunar mare joins Mare Serenitatis to the north. To the southeast is the crater Vitruvius...

    .

External links

  • LTO-43D4 Vitruvius — L&PI topographic map
    Topographic map
    A topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines in modern mapping, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK