Carlini is a small lunar

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 ...

located in the

Mare Imbrium Mare Imbrium (Latin ''imbrium'', the "Sea of Showers" or "Sea of Rains") is a vast lunar mare, lava plain within the Imbrium Basin on the Moon and is one of the larger craters in the Solar System. The Imbrium Basin formed from the collision ...

. It was named after Italian astronomer

Francesco Carlini Francesco Carlini (January 7, 1783 – August 29, 1862) was an Italian astronomer. Born in Milan, he became director of the Brera Astronomical Observatory there in 1832. He published ''Nuove tavole de moti apparenti del sole'' in 1832. In 1810, ...

. The crater is bowl-shaped with a small central floor. It has a higher

albedo Albedo ( ; ) is the fraction of sunlight that is Diffuse reflection, diffusely reflected by a body. It is measured on a scale from 0 (corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation) to 1 (corresponding to a body that reflects ...

than the surrounding

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...

, making it prominent due to its isolated location. To the south is a

wrinkle ridge A wrinkle ridge is a type of feature commonly found on lunar maria, or basalt plains. These features are low, sinuous ridges formed on the mare surface that can extend for up to several hundred kilometers. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features ...

named Dorsum Zirkel, and farther south lies the peak Mons La Hire.

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 Carlini. The following craters have been renamed by the

IAU The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...

. * Carlini B — ''See''

McDonald (crater) McDonald is a small lunar impact crater located in the central Mare Imbrium. It was named after American benefactor William Johnson McDonald and Scottish selenographer Thomas Logie MacDonald. This crater is a cup-shaped feature with a circular ...

. File:Carlini D crater 4127 h1.jpg, Carlini D

References

* * * * * * * * * * * {{Craters on the Moon: C-F Impact craters on the Moon Mare Imbrium