Walther Purbach and Regiomontanus craters

Photographer: Victor Lupu
Optics: Celestron C8-Newtonian reflector telescope, plossl 20mm, 2x Barlow
Mount: CG5 (EQ5)
Device: Sony HDR CX105
Filter: No
Date: 14/11/2010
Location: Baia Mare, Romania
Processing: video capture

        Walther (128 km), is an old impact crater located in the southern region of the Moon. It is joined along the western edge with the crater Deslandres (234 km)., north-east of Aliacensis and south-eastern edge of Nonius (70 km), which is an irregular crater.
Walther's edge is complex, strongly eroded and incised by smaller impacts. Wall maintains a circular shape, in general, but many of its features are no longer visible.There is a prominent bump on the edge of west.The floor was renewed after the original impact . On the northeast in the crater is a central peak, which is affected by several small craters, including Walther A (12 km). Walther has cratered satellites called from A to X.
      Crater name comes from Bernhard Walther (1430 - Memmingen - June 19 1504 - Nuremberg), who was a German humanist and astronomer from Nuremberg, Germany.
He devoted himself to scientific concerns. When Regiomontanus settled in Nuremberg in 1471, they worked in collaboration to build an observatory and a printing press. After the death of Regiomontanus in 1476 in Rome, Walther bought his instruments and continued to observe planets until his death.

         Regiomontanus (126x110 km), is joined to the north edge of the crater Purbach (118 km) and on south-southeast is Walther.
The crater is eroded, and the edge is irregular, mountainous and oval. The walls on the south and west edges were almost completely degraded. A prominent ridge lies in the crater's north-west, together with Regiomontanus A (6 km), a small crater. Crater floor is flooded by lava, and has a small number of impact craters.
Regiomontanus A was once considered an evidence of volcanic activity on the Moon. However it is actually an impact crater.
      Regiomontanus has the name from Johannes Müller von Königsberg (June 6 1436-6 iul 1476), now best known by his latin toponym as Regiomontanus. He was a german mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and translator.

        Purbach (118 km), is a large lunar crater located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon.It is attached to the southern edge with the distorted Regiomontanus crater. To the northwest is Thebit (57 km), and north-east lies La Caille (68 km).
    Purbach's outer wall is heavily hit, and most intact section being along the sides of the east and northeast. The wall where Purbach shares with Regiomontanus is incised rough. Along the western edge, gives the impression of a double edge. The north wall is almost completely destroyed and irregular.  Purbach G (27 km) is located on the northwestern edge of Purbach.
    The eastern half of the floor is good, with a reduced number of crests.
Other craters visible in these photos are Arzachel, Orontius A (7 km), Werner (70 km), Delaunay (47 km), Blanchinus (68 km) and La Caille (68 km).
        Delaunay (47 km). This is an irregular crater, which has an inner ridge from the north-east, dividing the crater almost in half, and gives a heart-shaped appearance. This ridge becomes increasingly thin as it approach the edge of the southwest, giving the appearance of a curved tooth. The outer edge of this crater is irregular and uneven walls vary in width.
      Crater name comes from Charles-Eugène Delaunay (April 9 1816 - August 5, 1872), which was a French astronomer and mathematician. His studies of movement of the Moon were important in promoting both the theory and the mathematics of planetary motion.

        Blanchinus (68 km). The outer edge of Blanchinus was significantly degraded by subsequent impacts, leaving it irregular in shape. The interior floor is almost flat with no significant impact.
     The name is given to Giovanni Bianchini (1410 - 1469), professor of mathematics and astronomy at the University of Ferrara and astrologer to Leonello d'Este.

        La Caille (68 km), is located northeast of the crater's Purbach.The floor of Caille was flooded in the past by lava, and the surface is smooth and relatively flat with no central peaks.Most notable crater is La Caille B (7 km), which lies on the eastern rim.
     Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (March 15 1713-21 mar 1762),a french astronomer, has the name of the crater.

Posted in: Craters,Craters of the south pole,Craters-Walther Purbach and Regiomontanus