Stadius
Contents
Stadius
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Lat: 10.5°N, Long: 13.7°W, Diam: 69 km, Depth: 0.65 km, Rükl: 32 |
François Emond Stadius is the large low enclosure to the right of center. About ten of the small craters visible here (as well as many to the northwest) have been assigned letters associated with Stadius. The ridge in the upper right leads to nearby Eratosthenes.
Images
LPOD Photo Gallery Lunar Orbiter Images Apollo Images
Stadius was photographed during the missions of Apollo 15 and Apollo 17 (both from orbit). It might be an interesting pastime to try to detect the numerous craterlets of Stadius on orbital Apollo photos.- DannyCaes Sep 15, 2013.
Maps
(LAC zone 58B3) LAC map Geologic map
Description
Description: Elger
(IAU Directions) STADIUS.--An inconspicuous though a very interesting formation, 43 miles in diameter, E. of Copernicus, with a border scarcely exceeding 200 feet in height. Hence it is not surprising that it was for a long time altogether overlooked by Madler. Except as a known object, it is only traceable under very oblique illumination, and even then some attention is required before its very attenuated wall can be followed all round. It is most prominent on the E., where it apparently consists of a S. extension of the Eratosthenes mountain-arm, and is associated with a number of little craters and pits. This is succeeded on the S.E. by a narrow strip of bright wall, and on the S. by a section made up of a piece of straight wall and a strip curving inwards, forming the S. side. On the W. the border assumes a very ghostly character, and appears to be mainly defined by rows of small depressions and mounds. On the N.W., N., and N.E. it is still lower and narrower; so much so, that it is only for an hour or so after sunrise or before sunset that it can be traced at all. On every side, with the exception of the curved piece on the S., the wall consists of linear sections. The interior contains a great number of little craters and very low longitudinal mounds. Ten craters are shown in Beer and Madler's map. Schmidt only draws fifteen, though in the text accompanying his chart he says that he once counted fifty. In the monograph published in the Journal of the Liverpool Astronomical Society (vol. v. part 8), forty-one are represented. They appear to be rather more numerous on the S. half of the floor than elsewhere. Just beyond the limits of the border on the N., is a bright crater with a much larger obscure depression on the E. of it. The former is surrounded by a multitude of minute craters and crater-cones, which are easily seen under a low sun. Though almost every trace of Stadius disappears under a high light, I have had little difficulty in seeing portions of the border and some of the included details when the morning terminator had advanced as far as the W. wall of Herodotus, and the site was traversed by innumerable light streaks radiating from Copernicus. At this phase the bright crater, just mentioned, on the N. edge of the border was tolerably distinct.
Description: Wikipedia
Additional Information
Depth data from Kurt Fisher database
- Arthur, 1974: 0.65 km
- Westfall, 2000: 0.65 km
- Viscardy, 1985: 0.65 km
- Cherrington, 1969: 0.36 km
Nomenclature
- Named for Johannes Stadius or Estadius (ca. May 1, 1527-June 17, 1579), a Flemish astronomer, astrologer, and mathematician.
- According to Whitaker (p. 215), this name appeared on Riccioli's map, but was used to label a currently unnamed dark area. He does not make clear when or how the name became associated with the present feature. - Jim Mosher
- In the IAU nomenclature (as in the tradition that preceded it), satellite features are named after the nearest primary named feature, which may or may not have a physical relationship with them. In this case, as pointed out in the LPOD's, most of the many lettered craters named after Stadius were actually produced by secondary impacts from nearby (and much younger) Copernicus. - Jim Mosher
LPOD Articles
Floods and Buckshot
Before and After
Bibliography
Who was Dobie?
According to T.W.Webb's Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (Volume 1; The Solar System, chapter THE MOON), page 121, a certain Dobie noticed the speckled appearance of the interior of Stadius. Now, who was Dobie?
