Albategnius

Location of Albategnius on the Moon.

Albategnius is an ancient lunar impact crater located in the central highlands. It is named after the great Muslim astronomer and scientist Al-Battani. The level interior forms a "walled plain", surrounded by the high, terraced rim. The outer wall is somewhat hexagon-shaped, and has been heavily eroded with impacts, valleys and landslips. It attains a height above 4,000 meters along the northeast face. The rim is broken in the southwest by the smaller crater Klein.

Offset to the west of the crater mid-point is the central peak of Albategnius. This formation is designated Alpha (α) Albategnius. It is longer in extent in the north-south direction, extending for just under 20 kilometers, and has a width about half that. The peak rises to an altitude of roughly 1.5 km, and there is a tiny, relatively fresh crater at the top.

Albategnius is located to the south of the crater Hipparchus and to the east of Ptolemaeus and Alphonsus. The surface in this area is marked by a set of nearly parallel scars that form channels running roughly in a north-south line, bent slightly to the southeast.

Albategnius is believed to have been featured prominently in an early sketch drawing by Galileo in his book Sidereus Nuncius published in 1610, appearing along the lunar terminator.

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Albategnius.

References

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