Petavius is a large lunar

impact crater An impact crater is a depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical body formed by the hypervelocity impact event, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal c ...

located to the southeast of the Mare Fecunditatis, near the southeastern lunar limb. Attached to the northwest rim is the smaller crater Wrottesley. To the southeast are Palitzsch, Vallis Palitzsch, and Hase. Farther to the north is the large crater Vendelinus. Petavius appears oblong when viewed from the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

due to foreshortening. Petavius is Imbrian in age. The outer wall of Petavius is unusually wide in proportion to the diameter, and displays a double rim along the south and west sides. The height of the rim varies by as much as 50% from the lowest point, and a number of ridges radiate outwards from the rim. The convex crater floor has been resurfaced by

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...

flow, and displays a

rille Rille (German for 'groove') is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the surface of the Moon that resemble channels. The Latin term is ''rima'', plural ''rimae''. Typically, a rille can be several kilometers w ...

system named the Rimae Petavius. The large central mountains are a prominent formation with multiple peaks, climbing 1.7 kilometers above the floor. A deep fracture runs from the peaks toward the southwest rim of the crater. Rev. T. W. Webb described Petavius as, : "one of the finest spots in the Moon: its grand double rampart, on east side nearly . High, its terraces, and convex interior with central hill and cleft, compose a magnificent landscape in the lunar morning or evening, entirely vanishing beneath a Sun risen but halfway to the meridian." Petavius is one of the largest craters of Lower (Early)

Imbrian The Imbrian is a lunar geologic period divided into two epochs, the Early and Late. Early Imbrian In the lunar geologic timescale, the Early Imbrian epoch occurred from 3,850 million years ago to about 3,800 million years ago. It overlaps the en ...

age. The most favorable time for viewing this feature through a

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorption, or Reflection (physics), reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally, it was an optical instrument using len ...

is when the Moon is only three days old. By the fourth day the crater is nearly devoid of shadow. 70-cm

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

images of this crater and its surroundings show that the region of the surface beyond the wide outer

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

of Petavius has a dark halo, characteristic of a smooth surface free of boulders. It is thought that this may have been created by radial outbursts during the original impact that swept the area clean. Petavius B to the north-northwest of Petavius has a small

ray system In planetary geology, a ray system comprises radial streaks of fine '' ejecta'' thrown out during the formation of an impact crater, looking somewhat like many thin spokes coming from the hub of a wheel. The rays may extend for lengths up to ...

that lies across the surface of Mare Fecunditatis. Due to these rays, Petavius B is mapped as part of the Copernican System.The geologic history of the Moon, 1987, Wilhelms, Don E.; with sections by McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J.

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...

Professional Paper: 1348. Plate 11: Copernican System
online

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 Petavius.

Views

File:Petavius crater 4184 h2.jpg, Oblique view from

Lunar Orbiter 4 Lunar Orbiter 4 was a robotic U.S. spacecraft, part of the Lunar Orbiter program, Lunar Orbiter Program, designed to orbit the Moon, after the three previous orbiters had completed the required needs for Project Apollo, Apollo mapping and site s ...

File:Petavius crater AS17-P-3152.jpg, Oblique view from

Apollo 17 Apollo 17 (December 7–19, 1972) was the eleventh and final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the sixth and most recent time humans have set foot on the Moon. Commander Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt walked on the Moon, ...

File:Moon-Petavius-crater-LB16-diaphragmed-90mm-Registax.jpg, Petavius crater at the terminator, from Earth File:Petavius-big-orig.jpg, Petavius crater viewed from Earth File:Petavius B crater AS12-50-7458.jpg, Petavius B crater, from

Apollo 12 Apollo 12 (November 14–24, 1969) was the sixth crewed flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. It was launched on November 14, 1969, by NASA from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Commander Charles ...

File:Petavius-jpeg.jpg, Petavius crater viewed through an 8 inch dob

References

* Rev. T. W. Webb, ''Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes'', rev. 6, Dover, 1962, . * Ghent and others, ''Properties of Lunar Crater Ejecta from New 70 cm Radar Observations'', 2004, Lunar & Planetary Science 35; #1879. * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Lunar Orbiter 5 Lunar Orbiter 5, the last of the "Lunar Orbiter series", was designed to take additional Project Apollo, Apollo and Surveyor program, Surveyor landing site photography and to take broad survey images of unphotographed parts of the Moon's far sid ...

acquired high-resolution images of Petavius
Frame 033Frame 034Frame 035
an
Frame 036
* * * * {{cite web , last = Wood , first = Chuck , date = November 20, 2007 , title = Limb Gift , publisher = Lunar Photo of the Day , url = http://www.lpod.org/?m=20071120 , access-date = 2007-11-20 , url-status = dead , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071121054330/http://www.lpod.org/?m=20071120 , archive-date = November 21, 2007 Impact craters on the Moon