Pontanus (crater)


Pontanus is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It lies approximately midway between the craters Sacrobosco to the north-northeast and Gemma Frisius to the south-southwest. It is 58 kilometers in diameter and 2,120 meters deep.
The rim of this crater has been heavily worn by subsequent impacts, leaving a roughly circular, uneven slope about the interior. There is an outward protrusion in the rim to the south. The rim and inner wall to the north is less prominent, and is incised along the inner edge. The satellite crater Pontanus V is attached to the west-southwestern side. The interior floor is relatively uneven, particularly in the northern half, but is not marked by any significant craters. The crater is from the Pre-Nectarian period, 4.55 to 3.92 billion years ago.
The crater is named after the 15th-century Italian poet Giovanni Pontano.

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 Pontanus.
PontanusLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A31.1° S15.3° E10 km
B30.9° S15.9° E12 km
C30.0° S15.5° E23 km
D25.9° S13.2° E20 km
E25.2° S13.2° E13 km
F27.8° S11.6° E10 km
G30.6° S15.3° E21 km
H31.4° S16.1° E30 km
J30.0° S13.1° E9 km
K25.7° S12.7° E9 km
L28.6° S13.4° E6 km
M29.7° S14.1° E5 km
N24.6° S13.8° E10 km
O26.0° S14.1° E10 km
P29.9° S14.8° E3 km
Q27.4° S14.5° E5 km
R28.1° S15.6° E6 km
S31.4° S16.8° E7 km
T29.2° S16.6° E8 km
U29.5° S17.5° E5 km
V29.2° S13.2° E33 km
W29.1° S17.6° E7 km
X28.5° S15.8° E13 km
Y28.7° S17.2° E23 km
Z27.9° S12.9° E5 km