Donna Resides in Southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis on Lunar Near Side

Summary: Donna resides in southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis on the lunar near side in the northeast quadrant to the west of northwestern Mare Fecunditatis.

Detail of Near Side Shaded Relief and Color-Coded Topography Map shows Donna's (lower left center) Cauchy-Aryabhata-Zähringer neighborhood in lunar near side's southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Donna resides in southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis on the lunar near side in the northeast quadrant to the west of northwestern Mare Fecunditatis.

Donna Craterlet is centered at 7.22 degrees north latitude, 38.3 degrees east longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The northeastern quadrant craterlet marks its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 7.24 degrees north and 7.2 degrees north, respectively. It posts easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 38.33 degrees east and 38.27 degrees east, respectively. Donna has a diameter of 1.84 kilometers.

Donna Craterlet is sited in southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature's Descriptor Terms (Feature Types) webpage defines a lunar mare (Latin: "sea"; maria, "seas") as "'Sea'; on the Moon, low albedo, relatively smooth plain, generally of large extent." Mare Tranquillitatis primarily occupies the near side's northeastern quadrant but also includes terrain in the southeastern quadrant.

Mare Tranquillitatis ("Sea of Tranquility") is centered at 8.35 degrees north latitude, 30.83 degrees east longitude. The dark, basaltic plain's northernmost and southernmost latitudes tap 19.37 degrees north and minus 4.05 degrees south, respectively. The lunar mare's easternmost and westernmost longitudes touch 45.49 degrees east and 16.92 degrees east, respectively. Mare Tranquillitatis has a diameter of 875.75 kilometers.

Donna's location near the southeastern fringes of Mare Tranquillitatis places the craterlet to the west of the Sea of Tranquility's meeting with northwestern Mare Fecunditatis. The Sea of Tranquility's southeastern neighbor primarily occupies the near side's southeastern quadrant but also extends into the northeastern quadrant.

Mare Fecunditatis ("Sea of Fecundity") is centered at minus 7.83 degrees south latitude, 53.67 degrees east longitude. The lunar mare's northernmost and southernmost latitudes reach 6.11 degrees north and minus 21.7 degrees south, respectively. The eastern hemisphere plain's easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend to 63.34 degrees east and 40.77 degrees east, respectively. Mare Fecunditatis has a diameter of 840.35 kilometers.

Donna neighbors with closest named eastern craters Cauchy C and Zähringer in southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis. Cauchy C lies to the northeast of Donna. Zähringer is positioned to the southeast of Donna.

Cauchy C belongs to the 10-satellite Cauchy Crater system. Cauchy C is centered at 8.16 degrees north latitude, 38.86 degrees east longitude. Satellite C establishes its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 8.22 degrees north and 8.1 degrees north, respectively. It places its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 38.92 degrees east and 38.8 degrees east, respectively. Cauchy C has a diameter of 3.6 kilometers.

Zähringer Crater is centered at 5.51 degrees north latitude, 40.21 degrees east longitude. The bowl-shaped crater reports northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 5.69 degrees north and 5.33 degrees north, respectively. It gives its easternmost and westernmost longitudes as 40.4 degrees east and 40.03 degrees east, respectively. Zähringer's diameter measures 11.19 kilometers.

Cauchy M and Aryabhata are situated as Donna Craterlet's closest named western craters. Cauchy M lies to the northwest of Donna. Aryabhata Crater is located to the southwest of Donna.

Cauchy M occurs as the most southerly and westerly of the Cauchy Crater system's 10 satellites. Cauchy M lies to the southwest of Cauchy C, Donna's northeastern neighbor.

Cauchy M is centered at 7.62 degrees north latitude, 35.05 degrees east longitude. Satellite M maintains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 7.67 degrees north and 7.56 degrees north, respectively. It obtains easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 35.1 degrees east and 34.99 degrees east, respectively. Cauchy M has a diameter of 3.36 kilometers.

Aryabhata, Donna Craterlet's southwestern neighbor, is centered at 6.2 degrees north latitude, 35.17 degrees east longitude. The mostly lava-submerged crater records northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 6.56 degrees north and 5.84 degrees north, respectively. The arc-shaped, lunar impact crater remnant registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 35.54 degrees east and 34.81 degrees east, respectively. Aryabhata's diameter measures 21.89 kilometers.

Donna 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). Donna is plotted on NASA Lunar Topophotomap 61D2S1, which was published in May 1977. The map's Names Information lists Donna as "a provisional name pending IAU approval."

The International Astronomical Union approved Donna as the craterlet's name in 1979. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature finds Donna's origin as: "Italian female name."

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 61 shows Donna's (center right) Cauchy-Aryabhata-Zähringer neighborhood in lunar near side's southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis: 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 Donna's (center right) Cauchy-Aryabhata-Zähringer neighborhood in lunar near side's southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/moon_nearside.pdf

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 61 shows Donna's (center right) Cauchy-Aryabhata-Zähringer neighborhood in lunar near side's southeastern Mare Tranquillitatis: image credit NASA/GSFC/ASU, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/Lunar/lac_61_wac.pdf

For further information:

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/8177

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/1575

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