Hecataeus (crater)

Hecataeus

Hecataeus (center) and Humboldt (lower right) from Apollo 15. NASA photo.
Diameter	167 km
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	283° at sunrise
Eponym	Hecataeus of Miletus

Hecataeus is a large lunar crater that lies near the eastern limb of the Moon. It is attached to the northern rim of the walled plain Humboldt. To the northeast is the smaller crater Gibbs. East of Hecataeus is a chain of tiny craterlets forming a line radial to Humboldt; these are designated the Catena Humboldt, named after the walled plain.

Hecataeus is a worn and eroded walled plain with wide inner walls. Its northern part overlies half of Hecataeus K, a fairly substantial crater. Along the southern rim, the outer rampart of ejecta from Humboldt forms a rugged interior surface across the southern floor. Several small, bowl-shaped craters lay across the eastern rim and inner wall. The western rim is much less damaged by impacts, although it is still eroded. The northern part of the interior floor is relatively featureless.

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 Hecataeus.

Hecataeus	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	22.0° S	81.6° E	11 km
B	19.5° S	75.6° E	69 km
C	19.0° S	73.2° E	22 km
E	18.5° S	72.8° E	13 km
J	22.6° S	80.8° E	11 km
K	19.1° S	79.8° E	76 km
L	19.1° S	79.0° E	21 km
M	20.9° S	84.1° E	18 km
N	21.0° S	80.8° E	10 km

• 
  Oblique view of Hecaeteus L (Apollo 15)

References

• Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revision ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)