Mons Piton is an isolated lunar

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

that is located in the eastern part of the Mare Imbrium, to the north-northwest of the crater Aristillus. Due east of Mons Piton is the flooded crater Cassini, and to the west-northwest lies Piazzi Smyth. North and northeast of this

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

is the

Montes Alpes Montes Alpes is a mountain range in the northern part of the Moon's near side. It was named after the Alps in Europe; the name was confirmed by the International Astronomical Union in 1935. It lies between the selenographic coordinates latitudes ...

range, forming the northeast edge of the

lunar mare The lunar maria (; singular: mare ) are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient asteroid impacts on the far side on the Moon that triggered volcanic activity on the opposite (near) side. They were dubbed , Latin for 'seas' ...

. The selenographic

coordinate In geometry, a coordinate system is a system that uses one or more numbers, or coordinates, to uniquely determine the position of the points or other geometric elements on a manifold such as Euclidean space. The order of the coordinates is sign ...

s of this rise are 40.6° N, 1.1° W, and it has a diameter of 25 km. It is slightly elongated along toward the northwest, with ridge lines to the south, northwest, and west. The peak climbs to a height of 2250 m, typical of the peaks in the Montes Alpes, but much lower than

Mons Blanc Mont Blanc is a mountain in the Montes Alpes range on the Moon. It is located on the western edge of the range, near the shore of Mare Imbrium, at . Its width is about 25 kilometers; the height is 3.7–3.8 km above adjacent plains of Mare ...

, which rises to 3.6 km. Because it is an isolated formation on the lunar mare, this peak can form prominent shadows when illuminated by oblique sunlight during the lunar dawn or dusk. It is also known as a location of Transient Lunar Anomalies. The peak of Piton is cratered from a meteor strike, though the crater can be difficult to observe from earthbound telescopes. There is a pair of satellite craters on the mare to the south that are named for this peak (see below). To the south-southwest is a low ridge feature in an isolated portion of the mare that is designated Piton Gamma (γ). Mons Piton was named for a peak on Tenerife Island. The lunar Mons Piton is located in a range known as the Montes Teneriffe. Mons_Piton_With_Elevations

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 Mons Piton. Both Piton A and B are to the south of Mons Piton.

References

External links

Exposed Layers
within Piton B crater

Satellite craters

References

External links

See also