Apollonius is a
lunar impact crater
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...
located near the eastern limb of the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width ...
. It lies in the region of uplands to the west of
Mare Undarum and northeast of the
Sinus Successus on the
Mare Fecunditatis. It was named after Greek mathematician
Apollonius of Perga
Apollonius of Perga ( grc-gre, Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Περγαῖος, Apollṓnios ho Pergaîos; la, Apollonius Pergaeus; ) was an Ancient Greek geometer and astronomer known for his work on conic sections. Beginning from the contribut ...
.
It is southwest of the crater
Firmicus, and north of
Condon.
The outer rim of Apollonius is somewhat worn and is overlain by a pair of small craters (including Apollonius E) across the western wall. The nearly flat interior floor has a low
albedo
Albedo (; ) is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation and measured on a scale from 0, corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation, to 1, corresponding to a body that refl ...
and has been covered by
lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock ( magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...
. It lacks a central peak or notable small craters across the bottom.
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 Apollonius.
The following craters have been renamed by the
IAU
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...
.
* Apollonius C — ''See''
Ameghino (crater)
Ameghino is a lunar impact crater located to the north of the Sinus Successus, a bay in the northeast part of Mare Fecunditatis. Less than 15 kilometers to the northwest of Ameghino were the landing sites of the Soviet Luna 18 and Luna 20 p ...
.
* Apollonius D — ''See''
Cartan (crater)
Cartan is a small lunar
Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon".
Lunar may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games
* "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta
* "Lunar", a song by Priestess fro ...
.
* Apollonius G — ''See''
Townley (crater).
* Apollonius K — ''See''
Abbot (crater).
* Apollonius P — ''See''
Daly (lunar crater).
* Apollonius T — ''See''
Bombelli (crater).
* Apollonius W — ''See''
Petit (crater).
File:Apollonius N (LROC-WAC).png, Apollonius N is a concentric crater
File:Apollonius N crater AS17-P-2595.jpg, Oblique view of Apollonius N from Apollo 17
References
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External links
LTO-62C1 Firmicus— L&PI
topographic map
In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but histori ...
Impact craters on the Moon
{{Craters on the Moon: A–B