Skip to content
Vatican Observatory
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact

The Northern Mountains

By Richard Hill  |  22 Mar 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

This entry is part 78 of 76 in the series Lunarcy

Just south of the Montes Caucasus  are the very dramatic northern peaks of the Montes Appenninus. At the top of the image is the shadow filled crater Autolycus (41km dia.) and due south of that, in the shadow of the montes is the Apollo 15, Hadley Rille base. Further south is the crater Conon (22km) with Aratus (10km) to the upper right of Conon. To the lower right from Autolycus there’s the Rimae Fresnel. Just to the right of them is a shadow filled crater that appears to be sitting on top of a mountain. This is Santos-Dumont (8km) a 2km deep crater with Promontorium Fresnel just to the upper right of it casting a spectacular shadow back towards the Rimae.  Below this crater is a double peaked mountain with the brighter peak on the right being Mons Hadley, a grand 4800m high mountain. The reader is encouraged to identify all the peaks and features between Santos-Dumont and Conon using something like LROC Quick Map or Virtual Moon Atlas. It is a very rich area.

The large mare to the right is Mare Serenitatus. Along the south shoreline, at the bottom of this image, you can see more rimae, the Rimae Sulpicius Gallus. Above this are three parallel vertical “wrinkle ridges” or dorsa with Dorsum Von Cotta on the right, Dorsum Owen above and a bit left of it and finally Dorsum Gast on the left near the shore. On the southern end of Dorsum Owen, the shortest of these ridges, is a very strange and unique feature called Vallis Krishna combined with Rima Sung-Mai and on the left end Yoshi. You will need a good steady sky and high magnification for this feature as it is only 3km across and 2km high. I recommend visiting Vallis Krishna on  the-moon.us/wiki  website first to understand this area. It is well worth the time spent.

Lastly, Dorsum Von Cotta points due north to a white spot that is an ejecta blanket for the small crater Linné in the middle of the ejecta. This is the crater that had been observed in antiquity as ranging from 8 to 10km diameter on different atlases,  but was reported missing by J.F.J Schmidt in 1866 at the National Observatory of Athens using the 158mm refractor, then the largest instrument they had. After much controversy and argument (that did include some observations!) it was been proven to be a 3km diameter crater, which is difficult to see from Earth again requiring a good steady sky and high magnifications. Go and see for yourself, it’s a delightful challenge!

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

Sacred Space Astronomy

The Vatican Observatory’s official digital community and online magazine.

Become a Member

Recent Posts

EWTN News Nightly | Thursday, June 1, 2023

YouTube  |  2 Jun 2023  |  Press

The Scientific Books and Astronomical Inventions of the Jesuit Astronomer Dr. Emmanuel Carreira Vérez S.J.

SciEngine  |  31 May 2023  |  Press

Plumes Jetting From Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Much Larger Than Previously Observed

By Robert Trembley  |  31 May 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

ⓜ Full Moon-th Meetup: 3 June, 2023

By Robert Trembley  |  30 May 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Archives

      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • August
      • June
      • March
      • January
      • November
      • October
      • December
      • November
      • April
      • May
      • January
      • December
      • September
      • May
      • March
      • December
      • November
      • February

More Posts in this Series:
"Lunarcy"

78  |  What Do We Lose When We Sacrifice Science?

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  27 May 2021  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

69  |  To err is human… to admit it, is science

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  25 Mar 2021  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

75  |  Crater chains

By Richard Hill  |  3 Sep 2022  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

77  |  Dividing Mountains

By Richard Hill  |  5 Mar 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

79  |  Theophilus to Albategnius

By Richard Hill  |  8 Apr 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Newsletter

Upcoming astronomical events, scientific breakthroughs, philosophical reflections… just a few reasons to subscribe to our newsletter!

Vatican Observatory
  • About
  • Telescopes
  • Latest
  • Podcast
  • Education
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
Privacy Policy  |   Cookie Policy  |   Disclosure Statement

Podcast:

  • Apple Podcasts Listen onApple Podcasts
  • Spotify Listen onSpotify
  • Google Podcasts Listen onGoogle Podcasts
  • Stitcher Listen onStitcher
  • Amazon Alexa Listen onAmazon Alexa
  • TuneIn Listen onTuneIn
Made by Longbeard