Pitiscus (crater)
Encyclopedia
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. There is an outward bulge to the south-southeast where the interior has slumped. The remainder of the inner wall still displays terraces, although they are worn and rounded due to erosion.
The interior floor is level and appears to have been resurfaced by lava
. There is a low central peak formation at the mid-point of the interior, and the northern end of this ridge is overlaid by the circular craterlet Pitiscus A. A slumped and somewhat irregular crater, Pitiscus E, lies along the inner wall to the west-southwest. The interior floor is also marked by several other tiny craterlets alongside the eastern interior wall.
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 in the southern 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...
's near side, just to the northwest of the larger crater Hommel
Hommel (crater)
Hommel is a lunar crater located in the southeast section of the Moon, in a region that is deeply impacted with a multitude of impact craters. The most notable craters nearby are Pitiscus to the north; Rosenberger due east; and Nearch to the southeast. The prominent crater Vlacq is nearly attached...
. The crater is worn, but still forms a prominent feature upon the surface. The rim is roughly circular, but appears oval from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
due to foreshortening. There is an outward bulge to the south-southeast where the interior has slumped. The remainder of the inner wall still displays terraces, although they are worn and rounded due to erosion.
The interior floor is level and appears to have been resurfaced by lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
. There is a low central peak formation at the mid-point of the interior, and the northern end of this ridge is overlaid by the circular craterlet Pitiscus A. A slumped and somewhat irregular crater, Pitiscus E, lies along the inner wall to the west-southwest. The interior floor is also marked by several other tiny craterlets alongside the eastern interior wall.
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 Pitiscus.| Pitiscus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 50.3° S | 30.9° E | 10 km |
| B | 47.7° S | 30.5° E | 25 km |
| C | 47.1° S | 28.3° E | 17 km |
| D | 49.0° S | 26.5° E | 22 km |
| E | 50.9° S | 29.3° E | 13 km |
| F | 46.9° S | 29.5° E | 13 km |
| G | 47.6° S | 25.2° E | 15 km |
| J | 48.2° S | 26.5° E | 7 km |
| K | 46.3° S | 29.9° E | 16 km |
| L | 51.2° S | 33.6° E | 9 km |
| R | 48.6° S | 28.3° E | 25 km |
| S | 47.7° S | 27.6° E | 28 km |
| T | 46.9° S | 27.9° E | 8 km |
| U | 48.9° S | 33.3° E | 6 km |
| V | 49.3° S | 34.3° E | 5 km |
| W | 50.3° S | 27.7° E | 24 km |