Fontenelle (crater)

Fontenelle (crater)

Location of the lunar crater Fontenelle.
Coordinates	63°24′N 18°54′W / 63.4°N 18.9°WCoordinates: 63°24′N 18°54′W / 63.4°N 18.9°W
Diameter	38 km
Depth	1.8 km
Colongitude	19° at sunrise
Eponym	Bernard Fontenelle

Fontenelle is a lunar crater that is located along the northern edge of Mare Frigoris, in the northern part of the Moon. To the northeast is the remnant of the crater Birmingham. Due to its location, this crater appears oval in shape when observed from the Earth because of foreshortening.

The rim of this crater is generally circular, but the edge is irregular and in some locations has a notched appearance. This is particularly true along the southwest and the eastern edges. The rim projects above the surface of the Mare Frigoris, and a wrinkle ridge runs several crater diameters to the southeast from the edge. The western rim is attached to rough terrain to the west and northwest.

The interior of Fontenelle has a wrinkled appearance along the northern rim. There is a low, wide central hill at the midpoint, and some rough ground to the west of this rise. Only a few tiny craterlets mark the surface of the floor.

To the south of Fontenelle on the lunar mare is a tiny crater that is surrounded by a blanket of high albedo material. This crater displays a resemblance to Linné on Mare Serenitatis. This feature lies about 15 kilometers north-northwest of Fontenelle G, and lacks a designation.

To the east of this crater is an unusual geometric configuration in the surface with an angular shape. This came to be known as "Mädler's Square", after the lunar selenographer Johann Mädler. It is roughly square in shape, but appears lozenge-shaped due to foreshortening. This feature was noted in many early books concerning the Moon.

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 Fontenelle.

Fontenelle	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	67.5° N	16.1° W	21 km
B	61.9° N	23.0° W	14 km
C	64.4° N	27.2° W	13 km
D	62.5° N	23.4° W	17 km
F	64.4° N	28.2° W	11 km
G	59.5° N	18.3° W	4 km
H	64.1° N	20.1° W	6 km
K	69.6° N	15.6° W	7 km
L	66.5° N	16.6° W	6 km
M	63.1° N	28.8° W	9 km
N	64.0° N	29.7° W	8 km
P	64.1° N	17.2° W	6 km
R	64.3° N	18.8° W	6 km
S	65.3° N	26.7° W	7 km
T	66.3° N	25.7° W	7 km
X	60.5° N	27.8° W	7 km

References

• Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
• Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
• Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
• Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
• McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
• Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763.
• Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
• Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
• Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
• Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
• Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
• Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.