Catalán is a small
lunar
Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon".
Lunar may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games
* "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta
* "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...
impact crater
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters ...
that lies almost along the southwest limb of the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
. At this position the crater is ill-suited for observation from the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
as it is viewed almost from the side, and visibility is subject to
libration
In lunar astronomy, libration is the wagging or wavering of the Moon perceived by Earth-bound observers and caused by changes in their perspective. It permits an observer to see slightly different hemispheres of the surface at different tim ...
effects. It lies to the west of the somewhat larger crater
Baade, and south-southeast of
Graff
Graff may refer to:
* Graff (lunar crater)
* Graff (Martian crater)
* Graff (jewellers), jewelry boutique specializing in rare diamonds
** 2009 Graff Diamonds robbery, which took place at the above store
* Graff, Minnesota an unincorporated co ...
. This region is located in the outer southeastern part of the skirt of ejecta that surrounds the
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale (Latin ''orientāle'', the "eastern sea") is a lunar mare. It is located on the western border of the near side and far side of the Moon, and is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective. Images from spacecraft have reveale ...
impact basin, and the nearby surface is rugged and streaky. This crater is named after the Spanish scientist
Miguel Antonio Catalán Sañudo (1894–1957) for his contributions to
spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...
, an important exploratory tool in astronomy.
This is a somewhat irregular crater, although in general form it is circular. The rim is sharp-edged and displays little appearance of erosion. Sections of the inner wall appear to have slumped along the north and southeast, forming notches in the rim. The interior floor is rough and irregular, with no central peak of note.
Due west of Catalán, the satellite craters Catalán A and the smaller Catalán B form a joined pair, with each having a sharp rim and a bowl-shaped interior. To the northwest of Catalán A is the nearly symmetrical, bowl-shaped Catalán U.
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 Catalán.
References
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Impact craters on the Moon
{{Craters on the Moon: C-F