Fabricius is a lunar impact crater that is located within the northeast part of the walled plain Janssen. Attached to the north-northwest rim is the slightly larger crater Metius. Fabricius has multiple central peaks that rise to 0.8 km, with a rugged rise to the northwest running north–south. The rim is lumpy and somewhat distended, most noticeably to the southwest and south.[1] It is 78 kilometers in diameter and 2,500 meters deep. It is from the Eratosthenian period, 3.2 to 1.1 billion years ago.[2] It is named after David Fabricius, a 16th-century German astronomer.[3]
 Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 42°45′S 41°50′E / 42.75°S 41.84°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 78.9 km (49.0 mi) |
| Depth | 2.5 km |
| Colongitude | 319° at sunrise |
| Eponym | David Fabricius |
Satellite craters
editBy convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Fabricius.[4]
| Fabricius | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 44.6° S | 44.0° E | 45 km |
| B | 43.6° S | 44.9° E | 17 km |
| J | 45.8° S | 45.2° E | 16 km |
References
edit- ^ Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 0-913135-17-8.
- ^ The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. By Don E. Wilhelms, John F. McCauley, and Newell J. Trask. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington: 1987. Table 12.2.
- ^ "Fabricius (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ^ Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
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