Earth and Space News: Dag Craterlet Resides in Lacus Felicitatis on Lunar Near Side

Summary: Dag Craterlet resides in Lacus Felicitatis on the lunar near side in the northeastern quadrant with Ina and Osama as nearest named craters.

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows Dag's (lower center right) Lacus Felicitatis neighborhood south of Montes Apenninus: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Dag Craterlet resides in Lacus Felicitatis on the lunar near side as a northeastern quadrant trio with nearest named craters Ina and Osama.

Dag is centered at 18.71 degrees north latitude, 5.26 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northern hemisphere craterlet maintains its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 18.72 degrees north and 18.7 degrees north, respectively. The northeastern quadrant craterlet marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 5.27 degrees east and 5.26 degrees east, respectively. Dag has a diameter of 0.36 kilometers.

Dag Craterlet is located in Lacus Felicitatis. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature's Descriptor Terms (Feature Types) webpage defines "Lacus, lacūs" as: "'Lake' or small plain." Lacus Felicitatis ("Lake of Happiness") presents a bent outline, with a large, northwest-southeast-aligned west wing and an eastern wing.

Lacus Felicitatis is centered at 18.52 degrees north latitude, 5.36 degrees east longitude. The northeastern quadrant small plain establishes its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 19.56 degrees north and 17.66 degrees north, respectively. It posts easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 7.05 degrees east and 3.67 degrees east, respectively. Lacus Felicitatis has a diameter of 98.48 kilometers.

Dag occupies the small plain's eastern wing with Ina and Osama as nearest named craters. Ina and Osama lie to the south, with Ina intervening between Dag and Osama.

Ina outlines as a sideways capital letter D. Osama is positioned in southwestern proximity to Ina.

Ina is centered at 18.66 degrees north latitude, 5.3 degrees east longitude. The small crater's northernmost and southernmost latitudes are given as 18.69 degrees north and 18.62 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are identified as 5.35 east and 5.26 degrees east, respectively. Ina's diameter measures 2.98 kilometers.

Mons Agnes is sited on the interior floor in eastern Ina. Its location places it to the southeast of Dag and to the northeast of Osama.

Mons Agnes is centered at 18.66 degrees north latitude, 5.33 degrees east longitude. The hilly feature's northernmost and southernmost latitudes repeat its center latitude, 18.66 degrees north. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are reported identically as 5.34 degrees east. Zero kilometers is given as the unknown diameter for Mons Agnes.

Osama is centered at 18.61 degrees north latitude, 5.27 degrees east longitude. It places its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 18.62 degrees north and 18.6 degrees north, respectively. It finds its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 5.27 degrees east and 5.26 degrees east, respectively. Osama has a diameter of 0.42 kilometers.

Dag's occurrence in Lacus Felicitatis places it in the northeastern quadrant region that forms the southern end of the break between southeastern Mare Imbrium and southwestern Mare Serenitatis. The ranges of Montes Appeninus and Montes Haemus border southeastern Mare Imbrium and southwestern Mare Serenitatis, respectively. Montes Appeninus and Montes Haemus form northwestern and northeastern borders, respectively, for the highland terrain that surrounds Lacus Felicitatis.

The Montes Haemus range is centered at 17.11 degrees north latitude, 12.03 degrees east longitude. The range's northernmost and southernmost latitudes touch 23.16 degrees north and 14.08 degrees north, respectively. The range's easternmost and westernmost longitudes tap 21.14 degrees east and 4.66 degrees east, respectively. The Montes Haemus range's diameter measures 384.66 kilometers.

The Montes Appeninus ("Appenine Mountains") range is centered at 19.87 degrees north latitude, 0.03 degrees east longitude. The range's northernmost and southernmost latitudes span 28.47 degrees north to 14.63 degrees north, respectively. The range's easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend 7.34 degrees east and minus 10.21 degrees west, respectively. The diameter, or greatest length, of Montes Appeninus spans 599.67 kilometers.

Dag 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). Dag is plotted on NASA Lunar Topophotomap 41C3S1, which was published in July 1974. The map's Names Information lists "Agnes, Dag, Ina, Osama" as unofficial names used "only for the identification of features on this map."

The International Astronomical Union approved Dag as the craterlet's official name in 1976. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature recognizes Dag as: "Scandinavian male name."

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 41 shows Dag's (lower center) Lacus Felicitatis neighborhood south of Montes Apenninus: 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.

Image credits:

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows Dag's (lower center) Lacus Felicitatis neighborhood south of Montes Apenninus: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/moon_nearside.pdf

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Earth and Space News

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Dag Craterlet Resides in Lacus Felicitatis on Lunar Near Side

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