Demonax (crater)

Demonax
Mosaic of Lunar Orbiter 4 images
Coordinates78°12′S 59°00′E / 78.2°S 59.0°E / -78.2; 59.0
Diameter121.93 km (75.76 mi)[1]
Depth2.9 km (1.8 mi)
Colongitude310° at sunrise
EponymDemonax
Oblique view of Demonax from Apollo 15, facing southwest

Demonax is a large lunar impact crater near the southern limb of the Moon.[2] This location makes the crater difficult to observe due to foreshortening,[3] and visibility is impacted by libration.[4] The crater is also illuminated at a very low angle, when it is in the sunlit side. Due to the low angle of sunlight reaching this crater, the inner wall along the north side receives very little illumination. Demonax lies just to the north of the crater Scott, one of the south polar formations. To the north-northwest is Boguslawsky.

This crater primarily consists of anorthosite with patches of mare basalts.[5] It has a worn and eroded rim, with several small craters lying along the edge and the inner walls. The southeast rim in particular has a notable collection of impacts, including the satellite crater Demonax A which intrudes into the interior floor. The crater bottom has been resurfaced, leaving a flat, level floor.[6]: 139  However, there is a group of central peaks near the midpoint,[4] and the northern part of the floor is rough and hummocky. The remains of some terraces are visible along the western interior floor.[6]: 139 

This formation is named after the Greek philosopher Demonax (fl. 2nd century A.D.).[7] His name was introduced through the lunar nomenclature of Johann F. J. Schmidt in 1878.[8] Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.[1]

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 Demonax.[9]

Demonax[6]: 297  Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 79.1° S 64.3° E 16 km
B 81.5° S 73.9° E 19 km
C 80.1° S 54.9° E 10 km
E 78.3° S 43.4° E 40 km

References

  1. 1 2 "Demonax". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
  3. ↑ Whitaker, E. A.; et al. (1963). Rectified Lunar Atlas: Supplement No. 2 to the Photographic Lunar Atlas. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. Retrieved 2026-06-01. See Field 30.
  4. 1 2 Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 135. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.
  5. ↑ Mishra, Abhisek; Senthil Kumar, P. (September 2022). "Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo-Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions". Geophysical Research Letters. 49 (18). id. e98505. Bibcode:2022GeoRL..4998505M. doi:10.1029/2022GL098505.
  6. 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.
  7. ↑ Jones, Brian (2025). Who's Who In The Moon: From Abbot to Zupus A Guide To The Moon And The People On It. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-5267-3708-3.
  8. ↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 131, 224. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  9. ↑ 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.

Sources

  • Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
  • Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.