Donna is a tiny
lunar crater
Lunar craters are impact craters on Earth's Moon. The Moon's surface has many craters, all of which were formed by impacts. The International Astronomical Union currently recognizes 9,137 craters, of which 1,675 have been dated.
History
The wor ...
on the near side 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 ...
. Its name is an Italian female given name, and does not refer to a specific person.
It is located in the eastern half of the
Mare Tranquillitatis
Mare Tranquillitatis (Latin ''tranquillitātis'', the Sea of Tranquillity or Sea of Tranquility; see spelling differences) is a lunar mare that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon. It is the first location on another world to be ...
, at the summit of the
lunar dome
A lunar dome is a type of shield volcano that is found on the surface of the Earth's Moon. They are typically formed by highly viscous, possibly silica-rich lava, erupting from localized vents followed by relatively slow cooling. Lunar domes are ...
Omega (ω) Cauchy. As such domes are thought to be volcanic in nature, it appears likely that this crater was created by an eruption. This is in contrast to most lunar craters, which are now believed to be created by impacts. This crater is sufficiently small that it requires a large
telescope
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observ ...
to resolve.
To the north of this crater is a fault line in the
lunar mare
The lunar maria (; singular: mare ) are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient asteroid impacts on the far side on the Moon that triggered volcanic activity on the opposite (near) side. They were dubbed , Latin for 'seas' ...
designated
Rupes Cauchy. It is named after the crater
Cauchy
Baron Augustin-Louis Cauchy (, ; ; 21 August 178923 May 1857) was a French mathematician, engineer, and physicist who made pioneering contributions to several branches of mathematics, including mathematical analysis and continuum mechanics. He w ...
, which lies farther to the north. To the west-northwest of Donna is a second lunar dome designated Tau (τ) Cauchy, which lacks a craterlet at the summit.
References
External links
Donna Lunar Topophotomap 61D2S1(50)
Further reading
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Impact craters on the Moon
{{Craters on the Moon: C-F