Overview
Hortensius is a small, bowl‑shaped lunar impact crater situated in the northern part of Mare Insularum on the near side of the Moon. The feature lies west‑southwest of the prominent crater Copernicus.
Location and Dimensions
- Selenographic coordinates: 6°30′ N, 28°00′ W (approximately 6.5° N, 28.0° W)
- Diameter: 15 km (9 mi)
- Depth: 2.86 km (1.78 mi)
- Colongitude: 28° at sunrise
Physical Characteristics
Hortensius is essentially circular and cup‑shaped, with a modestly raised floor near the centre of its sloping inner walls. The crater’s interior exhibits a higher albedo than the surrounding lunar mare, an effect attributed in part to ray material deposited by ejecta from Copernicus.
Eponym
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) named the crater after Martin van den Hove (1605–1639), a 17th‑century Dutch astronomer and mathematician whose Latinized name is Martinus Hortensius.
Surrounding Features
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Lunar Domes: Directly north of Hortensius lies a cluster of six lunar domes. These dome structures are shield volcanoes formed by relatively viscous lava. They are typically 6–8 km in diameter and rise up to about 400 m, sharing the same basaltic composition as the surrounding mare but differing in eruption style.
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Satellite Craters: By convention, satellite craters of Hortensius are identified on lunar maps with a capital letter placed on the side of each crater midpoint nearest to Hortensius (e.g., Hortensius A, B, …). These subsidiary features range from roughly 4 km to 10 km in diameter.
References
- United States Geological Survey, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.
- Pike, R. J. (1976). “Crater Dimensions from Apollo Data and Supplemental Sources.” The Moon, 15(3‑4), 463–477.
- Bussey, B., & Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. Cambridge University Press.
