Ptolemaeus (lunar crater) explained

Ptolemaeus is an ancient lunar impact crater close to the center of the near side, named for Claudius Ptolemy, the Greco-Roman writer, mathematician, astronomer, geographer and astrologer. It measures approximately 154 kilometers in diameter.

Description

To the south-southwest, Ptolemaeus is joined to the rim of the crater Alphonsus by a section of rugged, irregular terrain, and these form a prominent chain with Arzachel to the south. To the southeast is Albategnius and to the north is the smaller but well-defined Herschel.The features of Ptolemaeus are highlighted when the Sun is at low angles during the first and last quarter. At full Moon the Sun is directly overhead and the crater contours become more difficult to discern.

The crater has a low, irregular outer rim that is heavily worn and impacted with multiple smaller craters. The rim has a discernibly polygonal shape, although overall it remains circular. The largest of the peaks along the rim, designated Ptolemaeus Gamma (γ), has an altitude of 2.9 km and is located along the northwest rim. The crater has no central peak, a lava-flooded floor, and lacks a ray system. Impact sites of this form are often classified as walled plains, due to their resemblance to the maria.

The somewhat dark-hued floor of Ptolemaeus is notable for several ghost craters, formed where lava has covered a pre-existing crater. These leave only a slight rise where the rim existed, and are difficult to detect except at low angles of sunlight. There are also multiple smaller craters across the floor surface, most notably Ammonius in the northeastern quadrant.

On either side of this crater are linear, irregular gashes in the lunar surface, forming valley-like features. These features are approximately parallel to each other and radiate from the direction of Mare Imbrium to the north-northwest.

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 Ptolemaeus.

Ptolemaeus	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
B	7.9° S	0.7° W	17 km
C	10.1° S	3.3° W	3 km
D	8.2° S	2.5° W	4 km
E	10.2° S	4.5° W	32 km
G	7.1° S	0.1° E	7 km
H	7.1° S	5.4° W	7 km
J	9.6° S	5.4° W	5 km
K	8.2° S	4.6° W	8 km
L	8.8° S	4.0° W	4 km
M	9.4° S	3.4° W	3 km
O	7.2° S	3.6° W	5 km
P	11.4° S	3.2° W	4 km
R	6.7° S	1.2° W	6 km
S	10.5° S	0.5° W	4 km
T	7.5° S	0.0° E	7 km
W	9.1° S	1.4° E	4 km
X	10.9° S	0.3° E	4 km
Y	9.3° S	0.7° E	6 km

The following crater has been renamed by the IAU.

• Ptolemaeus A - See Ammonius.

See also

• Ptolemaeus (Martian crater)
• 4001 Ptolemaeus

References

• Book: Andersson . L. E. . Whitaker . E. A. . Ewen Whitaker . 1982 . NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature . NASA RP-1097 .
• Book: Bussey . B. . Ben Bussey . Spudis . P. . Paul Spudis . 2004 . The Clementine Atlas of the Moon . . New York . 978-0-521-81528-4 .
• Book: Cocks . Elijah E. . Cocks . Josiah C. . 1995 . Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature . Tudor Publishers . 978-0-936389-27-1 .
• Web site: McDowell . Jonathan . July 15, 2007 . Lunar Nomenclature . . 2007-10-24 .
• Menzel D. H.. Donald Howard Menzel. Minnaert. M.. Levin. B.. Dollfus A.. Audouin Dollfus. Bell. B.. Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU. 10.1007/BF00171763. Space Science Reviews. 12. 2. 136–186. 1971. 1971SSRv...12..136M. 122125855.
• Book: Moore , Patrick . Patrick Moore . 2001 . On the Moon . . 978-0-304-35469-6 .
• Book: Price , Fred W. . 1988 . The Moon Observer's Handbook . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-33500-3 .
• Book: Rükl , Antonín . Antonín Rükl . 1990 . Atlas of the Moon . . 978-0-913135-17-4 .
• Book: Webb , Rev. T. W. . Thomas William Webb . 1962 . Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes . 6th revised . Dover . 978-0-486-20917-3 .
• Book: Whitaker , Ewen A. . Ewen Whitaker . 1999 . Mapping and Naming the Moon . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-62248-6 .
• Book: Wlasuk , Peter T. . 2000 . Observing the Moon . Springer . 978-1-85233-193-1 .

External links

• Ptolemaeus at The Moon Wiki
• I-556 Ptolemaeus - USGS Geological Atlas of the Moon, 1966
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . March 3, 2004 . Ptolemaic Sunset . Lunar Photo of the Day .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . March 4, 2004 . Ptolemaic Peak Heights. Lunar Photo of the Day .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . May 15, 2004 . The Golden Triad . Lunar Photo of the Day . September 3, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180530165228/http://www.lpod.org/archive/archive/2004/05/LPOD-2004-05-15.htm . May 30, 2018 . dead .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . August 12, 2004 . Ptolemy's Strange Floor . Lunar Photo of the Day .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . October 31, 2004 . Sunrise and Sunset on the Triade . Lunar Photo of the Day . October 14, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171014150747/http://www.lpod.org/archive/LPOD-2004-10-31.htm . October 14, 2017 . dead . - one of three craters making up a Triad - that includes Ptolemaeus
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . April 8, 2005 . Cups & Saucers . Lunar Photo of the Day . September 3, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180530165227/http://www.lpod.org/archive/LPOD-2005-04-08.htm . May 30, 2018 . dead .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . 2006-04-06 . Micro-Topo . Lunar Photo of the Day . 2006-07-21 .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . November 27, 2006 . A Long Line in a Clutter of Magnificence . Lunar Photo of the Day . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110614233616/http://www.lpod.org/?m=20061127. June 14, 2011.
  • Web site: Wood . Chuck . May 15, 2008 . Unfamiliar Territory . Lunar Photo of the Day .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . January 28, 2009 . Ramparts . Lunar Photo of the Day .
• Web site: Wood . Chuck . September 4, 2014 . Nessie . Lunar Photo of the Day .