Curtius (crater)

Curtius
Lunar Orbiter 4 image.
Coordinates67°12′S 4°24′E / 67.2°S 4.4°E / -67.2; 4.4
Diameter99.29 km (61.70 mi)[1]
Depth3.99 km (2.48 mi)[2]
Colongitude356° at sunrise
FormationNectarian[3]
EponymAlbert Curtz

Curtius is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern highlands of the Moon. From the Earth the crater appears foreshortened, making it more difficult to observe detail.[4] Nevertheless, this is a large crater that can be readily found in even small telescopes. British astronomer T. W. Webb noted it "has a very complex and unusually steep wall".[5] Curtius is located within one crater diameter of the still-larger Moretus to the southwest.[6] To the northeast is the smaller Pentland. Curtius is 99[1] kilometers in diameter and 4 kilometers deep.[2]

This crater is named after German astronomer Albert Curtz (1600–1671).[7] His name was introduced as "Curtius Soc. I" in the lunar nomenclature of the Italian astronomer Giovanni B. Riccioli in 1651.[8] Its modern designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.[1]

Description

On the lunar geologic timescale, Curtius dates from the Nectarian period, 3.92 to 3.85 billion years ago.[3] The outer rim of Curtius has been softened due to impact erosion, but it retains much of its original structure. Along the north and northwest parts of the rim are a pair of notable outward bulges that ruin the overall symmetry of the crater. There is a small satellite crater, Curtius E, lying across the eastern rim, and a small, bowl-shaped craterlet Curtius A along the southern rim.[9][10]: 137 

The interior floor is relatively level, with a low, rounded central peak near the midpoint.[11] The northern part of the inner wall has extended further into the crater floor than elsewhere, producing a slightly irregular surface. The floor is covered by a number of tiny craterlets, but there are no other impacts of note across the interior.[9][10]: 137 

In 2023, the SOFIA airborne infrared telescope detected the signature for a relatively high concentration of water along a "wet ridge" just to the north of Curtius crater.[12]

Satellite craters

Image of Curtius from Earth showing the satellite features

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Curtius.[13]

Curtius[10]: 296  Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 68.5° S 2.7° E 12 km
B 63.7° S 4.7° E 41 km
C 69.2° S 4.4° E 10 km
D 64.8° S 8.1° E 61 km
E 67.2° S 8.2° E 15 km
F 66.5° S 2.7° E 6 km
G 65.9° S 3.1° E 6 km
H 69.4° S 8.2° E 10 km
K 69.1° S 9.8° E 6 km
L 68.2° S 9.4° E 7 km
M 65.5° S 8.6° E 5 km

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Curtius". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. 1 2 Joshi, Maitri P. (February 2017). "Physical properties of lunar craters". Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 17 (3). id. 24. Bibcode:2017RAA....17...24J. doi:10.1088/1674-4527/17/3/24.
  3. 1 2 Autostar Suite Astronomer Edition. CD-ROM. Meade, April 2006.
  4. ↑ Plotner, Tammy (2007). The Night Sky Companion: A Yearly Guide to Sky-Watching 2008-2009. The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 330. ISBN 978-0-387-71609-1.
  5. ↑ Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. pp. 148, 154–159. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3
  6. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
  7. ↑ Caskey, L. D.; Beazley, J. D. (1954). "Attic Vase Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston Part I". The Journal of Hellenic Studies. 76. London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford University Press: 57–58. doi:10.2307/629594. JSTOR 629594.
  8. ↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. p. 60, 211. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  9. 1 2 Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
  10. 1 2 3 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
  11. ↑ Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 213. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.
  12. ↑ Reach, William T.; et al. (March 2023). "The Distribution of Molecular Water in the Lunar South Polar Region Based upon 6 μm Spectroscopic Imaging". The Planetary Science Journal. 4 (3). id. 45. arXiv:2302.10815. Bibcode:2023PSJ.....4...45R. doi:10.3847/PSJ/acbdf2.
  13. ↑ Grego, P. (2015). "Satellite Crater". In Hargitai, H.; Kereszturi, Á. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_328.
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