Arago (lunar crater)
Arago is a lunar impact crater located in the western part of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It was named after French astronomer François Arago in 1935.[1] Its diameter is 26 km.[1] To the southwest lies the crater Manners, and beyond are Dionysius and the Ritter–Sabine crater pair. To the southeast is the large Lamont formation that has been submerged by the mare.
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Coordinates | 6.15°N 21.43°E |
---|---|
Diameter | 25.51 km |
Depth | 1.8 km |
Colongitude | 358° at sunrise |
Eponym | François Arago |



The rim of Arago has a bulge in the western wall. There is a central ridge that runs towards the northern wall. The surface of the mare nearby is marked by wrinkle ridges, most notably to the east and southeast. To the north is a large lunar dome designated Arago Alpha (α). A similar-sized lunar dome is located an equal distance to the west, designated Arago Beta (β).
Arago is a crater of Eratosthenian age.[2]
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 Arago.
Arago[1] | Coordinates | Diameter, km |
---|---|---|
B | 3.43°N 20.82°E | 6,9 |
C | 3.89°N 21.48°E | 3,0 |
D | 6.91°N 22.39°E | 4,0 |
E | 8.51°N 22.71°E | 6,3 |
References
- "Arago (lunar crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. By Don E. Wilhelms, John F. McCauley, and Newell J. Trask. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington: 1987. Table 12.2.
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
External links

- Lunar Orbiter 2 frame 57, showing Arago C in high resolution
- Wood, Chuck (June 14, 2007). "Something for Everyone". Lunar Photo of the Day. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011.
- Wood, Chuck (December 8, 2009). "Edgy". Lunar Photo of the Day.