Akis Craterlet Resides in Southwestern Mare Imbrium on Lunar Near Side

Summary: Akis Craterlet resides in southwestern Mare Imbrium on the lunar near side in a cluster of northwestern quadrant craters southeast of Mons Vinogradov.

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows Akis Craterlet's (center) Mons Vinogradov neighborhood in southwestern Mare Imbrium: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Akis Craterlet resides in southwestern Mare Imbrium on the lunar near side in a cluster of northwestern quadrant craters southeast of Mons Vinogradov.

Akis is centered at 20.01 degrees north latitude, minus 31.76 degrees west longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northern hemisphere craterlet obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 20.05 degrees north and 19.97 degrees north, respectively. It posts easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 31.72 degrees west and minus 31.8 degrees west, respectively. Akis has a diameter of 2.28 kilometers.

Akis Craterlet is found in southwestern Mare Imbrium. The craterlet's residence in the large, dark, basaltic plain's southwestern expanse places it in the lunar near side's northwestern quadrant.

Mare Imbrium ("Sea of Showers") is centered at 34.72 degrees north latitude, minus 14.91 degrees west longitude. The basaltic plain's northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to 51.46 degrees north and 15.23 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes reach 8.56 degrees east and minus 38.36 degrees west, respectively. Mare Imbrium's diameter spans 1,145.53 kilometers.

Akis Craterlet's center latitude of 20.01 degrees north nearly aligns with the center latitudes of Brayley D and Natasha Crater. Akis is positioned nearer to its eastern neighbor, Natasha Crater, than to its western neighbor, Brayley D.

Brayley D belongs to the northwestern quadrant's Brayley Crater system. Brayley D occurs as the most easterly and most southerly of the Brayley Crater system's nine satellites.

Brayley D is centered at 20.02 degrees north latitude, minus 32.88 degrees west longitude. The satellite crater marks its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 20.13 degrees north and 19.92 degrees north, respectively. It establishes its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 32.77 degrees west and minus 32.99 degrees west, respectively. Brayley D has a diameter of 6.18 kilometers.

Natasha Crater was associated formerly with southwestern Mare Imbrium's Euler Crater system. Natasha Crater's previous designation was as Euler P.

Natasha Crater is centered at 19.98 degrees north latitude, minus 31.16 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at 20.16 degrees north and 19.79 degrees north, respectively. It finds its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 30.97 degrees west and minus 31.36 degrees west, respectively. Natasha Crater's diameter measures 10.98 kilometers.

Brayley D and Natasha Crater anchor the bottom, or base, of a north-pointing triangle. Jehan marks the triangle's apex, opposite the base.

Jehan lies to the northwest of the base's off-center Akis. Jehan was designated formerly as the Euler Crater system's satellite K.

Jehan is centered at 20.71 degrees north latitude, minus 31.86 degrees west longitude. It records northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 20.79 degrees north and 20.64 degrees north, respectively. It registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 31.78 degrees west and minus 31.94 degrees west, respectively. Jehan's diameter measures 4.46 kilometers.

Ango Craterlet lies to the northwest of Akis and to the southwest of Jehan. It posts northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 20.49 degrees north and 20.46 degrees north, respectively. It obtains its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 32.32 degrees west and minus 32.35 degrees west, respectively. Ango Craterlet has a diameter of 0.87 kilometers.

Ango's nearest named neighbor is Rosa Craterlet. Rosa lies to the southeast of Ango and to the northwest of Akis. Rosa establishes northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 20.32 degrees north and 20.29 degrees north, respectively. It marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 32.29 degrees west and minus 32.32 degrees west, respectively. Rosa Craterlet has a diameter of 0.82 kilometers.

Akis Craterlet's neighborhood lies to the south-southeast of Mons Vinogradov. Akis Craterlet, Jehan Crater and Natasha Crater all are located to the southeast of the massif. Mons Vinogradov was designated formerly as Mons Euler.

Mons Vinogradov is centered at 22.35 degrees north latitude, minus 32.52 degrees west longitude. The compact group of peaks obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 22.81 degrees north and 21.92 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes occur at minus 31.96 degrees west and minus 32.99 degrees west, respectively. Mons Vinogradov's diameter measures 28.73 kilometers.

Akis numbers among 95 minor features identified with first-name designations on lunar topophotomaps prepared and published by The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Dorsum Thera is plotted on NASA Lunar Topophotomap 39C2S1, which was published in December 1974. The map's Names Information lists "Akis, Ango, Catena Pierre, Jehan, Natasha, Rima Wan-Yu, Rosa" as unofficial names used "only for the identification of features on this map."

The International Astronomical Union adopted Akis as the craterlet's official name in 1976. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature explains the name's origin as: "Greek female name."

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 39 shows Akis Craterlet's (lower center) Mons Vinogradov-Natasha neighborhood in southwestern Mare Imbrium: image credit NASA/GSFC/ASU, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Acknowledgment

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

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows Akis Craterlet's (center) Mons Vinogradov neighborhood in southwestern Mare Imbrium: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Near_side_39.jpg

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 39 shows Akis Craterlet's (lower center) Mons Vinogradov-Natasha neighborhood in southwestern Mare Imbrium: image credit NASA/GSFC/ASU, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/Lunar/lac_39_wac.pdf

For further information:

Andersson, Leif E.; and Ewen A. Whitaker. NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA Reference Publication 1097. Hampton VA: NASA Scientific and Technical Information Branch, October 1982.
Available via NASA NTRS (NASA Technical Reports Server) @ https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19830003761/downloads/19830003761.pdf

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The Defense Mapping Agency Topographic Center. "Lunar Topophotomap Rima Euler." National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lunar Topophotomap Edition 1 Sheet 39C2S1 (50). Washington DC: The Defense Mapping Agency Topographic Center, December 1974.
Available @ https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/topophoto/39C2S1/

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/133

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Ango.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/269

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/7913

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/2816

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3678

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3996

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/4163

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Rosa.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > The Moon. Last updated Oct. 18, 2010.
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