 Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 40°48′N 45°48′E / 40.8°N 45.8°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 40 km |
| Depth | 2.8 km |
| Colongitude | 315° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Cepheus, a King of Aethiopia |
Cepheus is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon, within one crater diameter of the larger crater Franklin to the southeast. To the north-north-east is the flooded crater Oersted. The proximity of this formation to the lunar limb means it appears oblong when viewed from the Earth due to foreshortening.
This is a relatively young formation, and the rim is still sharp and well-defined. The exception is an even younger, bowl-shaped crater that lies across the northeast rim. This is a satellite crater designated Cepheus A. The remaining rim is nearly circular, with outward bulges to the north and south. The inner wall is terraced in places, most notably along the northwest wall. There is a central peak formation at the midpoint of the floor which stretches somewhat to the north and south.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Cepheus.
| Cepheus | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 41.0° N | 46.5° E | 13 km |
References
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- Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
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- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
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- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
This page was last edited on 3 June 2024, at 18:11