Catharina (crater)

Catharina is an ancient lunar impact crater located in the southern highlands. British astronomer T. W. Webb calls it "irregular in character".^[2] It lies in a rugged stretch of land between the Rupes Altai scarp to the west and Mare Nectaris in the east. To the west-northwest is the crater Tacitus, and the lava-flooded Beaumont lies to the east along the shore of Mare Nectaris. To the south-southeast is Polybius.^[3]

With the large craters Cyrillus and Theophilus in the north, Catharina forms a prominent grouping that is framed by the curve of the Rupes Altai, with Catharina being the largest of the three.^[2] Together they form a notable feature when the Sun is at a low angle to the surface.^[4] There is a distinct difference in the ages of these three craters, with the age increasing significantly from north to south.^[5]

The rim of Catharina is heavily worn and irregular,^[4] with most of the north wall incised by the worn ring of crater Catharina P. The northeast wall is deeply impacted by several smaller craters.^[5] No terracing remains on the inner wall, and the outer rampart has been nearly eroded away. The floor is relatively flat but rugged, with a curved ridge formed by Catharina P, and the remains of a smaller crater near the south wall. Nothing remains of a central peak.^[3]

This crater was named after the Eygpytian princess and scholar, Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Its designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.^[1] Her name was added to the lunar nomenclature by Giovanni Battista Riccioli in 1651.^[6]

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 Catharina.

Popular culture

Within the Sega CD RPG Lunar: The Silver Star (and all subsequent remakes) there is a region called the Katarina Zone, which is named after the Catharina crater.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^
2. ^ Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes. 6th revised ed. Dover. pp. 144, 154–159. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3
3. ^ Bussey, B. & Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
4. ^ Benavides, R. (July 2022). "Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina, A Different Trio". The Lunar Observer. Lunar section of the ALPO. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
5. ^ Wlasuk, Peter T. (2013). Observing the Moon. The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 58–59. ISBN 9781447104834.
6. ^ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 60–66, 210. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.

Sources

• Andersson, L. E. & Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
• 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.
• McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. 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
• Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co.. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
• 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.

External links

• Catharina at The Moon Wiki