Capella is a

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 from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...

impact crater An impact crater is a depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical body formed by the hypervelocity impact event, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal c ...

in diameter that lies to the north of the

Mare Nectaris Mare Nectaris (Latin ''nectaris'', the "Sea of Nectar") is a small lunar mare or sea (a volcanic lava plain noticeably darker than the rest of the Moon's surface) located south of Mare Tranquillitatis southwest of Mare Fecunditatis, on the near ...

, in a rugged region with many small impact craters. It was named after Roman astronomer

Martianus Capella Martianus Minneus Felix Capella () was a jurist, polymath and Latin literature, Latin prose writer of late antiquity, one of the earliest developers of the system of the seven liberal arts that structured early medieval education. He was a native ...

. It intrudes slightly into the eastern rim of the crater Isidorus, a feature only slightly smaller in diameter. The wall of Capella is low but relatively thick and irregular, with a large

promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the s ...

intruding on the south-eastern side. The crater is crossed by a deep rift, the Vallis Capella, which passes directly through Capella from the north rim through the southeast side of the wall, and extends out both sides for a combined distance of 110 kilometers. This feature was formed by a chain of craters. In the middle of the crater is a wide, round peak with a craterlet at the top. The western side of the crater is dotted with impact debris, forming clusters of small hills.

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 Capella.

References

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External links

* Lunar Photo of the Day,
Land of Manna
, October 5, 2006, showing the region around Capella and discussing Capella Valley Impact craters on the Moon {{Valleys on the Moon