Near Side Lunar Crater Curtis Honors American Astronomer Heber Curtis

Summary: Near side lunar Crater Curtis honors American astronomer Heber Curtis, who specialized in spiral nebulae.

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography shows Curtis Crater (center left) in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises) in lunar near side’s northeastern quadrant; the primary crater was formerly designated, under the name of Picard Z, as a satellite of Picard Crater (center left): U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Near side lunar Crater Curtis honors American astronomer Heber Curtis, who specialized in spiral nebulae, which he correctly described as nonresidents of the Milky Way.

Curtis Crater presents a cup-shaped formation. Sloping interior walls accentuate a small floor at the crater’s midpoint.

Curtis Crater is centered at 14.57 degrees north latitude, 56.79 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northern hemisphere crater records northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 14.62 degrees north and 14.53 degrees north, respectively. The eastern hemisphere crater registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 56.84 degrees east and 56.74 degrees east, respectively. Near side circular lunar crater Swift’s diameter measures 2.88 kilometers.

The small lunar impact craterlet lies in western Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises) in the lunar near side’s northeastern quadrant. Mare Crisium is centered at 16.18 degrees north latitude, 59.1 degrees east longitude. The dark, basaltic plain’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes reach 24.53 degrees north and 9.69 degrees north, respectively. The lunar mare’s easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend to 68.53 degrees east and 49.51 degrees east, respectively. Mare Crisium’s diameter spans 555.92 kilometers.

Curtis Crater lies to the east of Picard Crater. Picard’s distinctive features include a terraced interior walls and low hills on its floor.

Picard Crater is centered at 14.57 degrees north latitude, 54.72 degrees east longitude. Picard’s northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at 14.93 degrees north and 14.2 degrees north, respectively. The small lunar crater obtains easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 55.1 degrees east and 54.34 degrees east, respectively. Picard has a diameter of 22.35 kilometers.

The International Astronomical Union officially approved Curtis Crater’s name in 1973, during the organization’s XVth (15th) General Assembly, held Tuesday, Aug. 21, to Thursday, Aug. 30, in Sydney, Australia. Lunar Crater Curtis honors 20th-century American astronomer Heber Doust Curtis (June 27, 1872-Jan. 9, 1942).

Curtis Crater’s name approval in 1973 effected an upgrade in the crater’s status, from satellite to primary crater. Prior to its official name change, Curtis Crater was considered a satellite of Picard Crater. As a satellite, Swift was designated as Picard Z.

The International Astronomical Union approved primary crater Picard’s name in 1935, during the organization’s Vth (5th) General Assembly, held from Wednesday, July 10, to Wednesday, July 17, in Paris, France. Lunar Crater Picard honors 17th-century French Jesuit astronomer (July 21, 1620-July 12, 1682).

A facility with languages impelled Muskegan, Michigan-born Heber Curtis to pursue a career as a teacher of classical languages. He completed his bachelor's degree in three years, 1889-1892, at the University of Michigan and received his master's degree in 1893. He returned to his high school, Detroit High School, to teach for six months. Then he relocated to Southern California to accept a position at Napa Collegiate Institute, a small, private Methodist-affiliated college.

In 1896, Napa Collegiate Institute merged with University of the Pacific, which had been founded as California Wesleyan College in 1851. Curtis relocated to the university's campus in San Jose. Curtis biographer Robert Grant Aitken (Dec. 31, 1864-Oct. 29, 1951) noted that the classics professor made use of small refracting telescopes and observatories at both institutions (page 277). In 1897, Curtis made a career change with his appointment as professor of astronomy and mathematics at the University of the Pacific.

In Astronomy Encyclopedia, English amateur astronomer Sir Patrick Moore (March 4, 1923-Dec. 9, 2012) noted that Curtis became an expert in astrophotography and spectroscopy after joining Lick Observatory in 1902 (page 107). His conscientious research led Curtis to the correct discernment that spiral nebulae reside distantly from the Milky Way.

The takeaways for near side lunar Crater Curtis, which honors 20th-century American astronomer Heber Curtis, are that the small lunar crater has a cup-shaped formation, with sloping inner walls and a small floor; that, prior to official naming as primary lunar Crater Curtis in 1973, the western Mare Crisium craterlet was considered as nearby Picard Crater’s satellite Z; and that the near side crater's namesake specialized in spiral nebulae, which he recognized as nonresidents of the Milky Way galaxy.

Detail of Apollo 17 image, taken Dec. 11, 1972, at a spacecraft altitude of 119.57 kilometers, during lunar orbit 15, with black and white panoramic camera, gives oblique view, looking south, of Curtis Crater in Mare Crisium; NASA ID AS17-P-2237; Apollo Image Archive, NASA / JSC (Johnson Space Center) / Arizona State University: JStuby (James L. Stuby), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography shows Curtis Crater (center left) in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises) in lunar near side’s northeastern quadrant; the primary crater was formerly designated, under the name of Picard Z, as a satellite of Picard Crater (center left): U.S. Geological Survey, Public Domain, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/moon_nearside.pdf

Detail of Apollo 17 image, taken Dec. 11, 1972, at a spacecraft altitude of 119.57 kilometers, during lunar orbit 15, with black and white panoramic camera, gives oblique view, looking south, of Curtis Crater in Mare Crisium; NASA ID AS17-P-2237; Apollo Image Archive, NASA / JSC (Johnson Space Center) / Arizona State University: JStuby (James L. Stuby), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Curtis_crater_AS17-P-2237.jpg

For further information:

Aitken, Robert G. Biographical Memoir of Heber Doust Curtis 1872-1942. National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Biographical Memoirs, vol. XXII-Thirteenth Memoir. Washington DC: Presented to the Academy at the Autumn Meeting, 1942.
Available @ http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/curtis-heber.pdf

Consolmagno, Guy; and Dan M. Davis. Turn Left at Orion. Fourth edition. Cambridge UK; New York NY: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Contopoulos, G. (George); and A. (Arnost) Jappel, eds. XVth General Assembly Transactions of the IAU Vol. XV B Proceedings of the 15th General Assembly and Extraordinary General Assembly, Sydney, Australia, August 24-30, 1973. Cambridge UK: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Jan. 1, 1974.
Available via IAU @ https://www.iau.org/publications/iau/transactions_b/
Available via The Moon Wiki @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/IAU_Transactions_XVB

Curtis, Heber Doust. 1918. "Descriptions of 762 Nebulae and Clusters Photographed With the Crossley Reflector." Publications of the Lick Observatory, vol. XIII: 9-42. Berkeley CA: University of California Press, 1918.
Available via Harvard ADSABS (NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstracts) @ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1918PLicO..13....9C
Available via Harvard ADSABS (NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstracts) @ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1918PLicO..13....9C

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Curtis.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/1352

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Mare Crisium.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3671

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Picard.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/4720

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Target: The Moon.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/MOON/target

Levy, David H. Skywatching. Revised and updated. San Francisco CA: Fog City Press, 1994.

Marriner, Derdriu. "Near Side Lunar Crater Swift Honors American Astronomer Lewis Swift." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/01/near-side-lunar-crater-swift-honors.html

The Moon Wiki. “Curtis.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > C Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Curtis

The Moon Wiki. “Picard.” The Moon > Lunar Features Alphabetically > P Nomenclature.
Available @ https://the-moon.us/wiki/Picard

Moore, Patrick, Sir. Astronomy Encyclopedia: An A-Z Guide to the Universe. New York NY: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2002.

Moore, Patrick, Sir. Philip’s Atlas of the Universe. Revised edition. London UK: Philip’s, 2005.

Stratton, F.J.M. (Frederick John Marrian), ed. Vth General Assembly Transactions of the IAU Vol. V B Proceedings of the 5th General Assembly Paris France, July 10-17, 1935. Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, Jan. 1, 1936.
Available @ https://www.iau.org/publications/iau/transactions_b/