Names of G.B.Riccioli
Discontinued lunar nomenclature of Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598-1671)
(mentioned in Appendix G of E.A.Whitaker's book Mapping and Naming the Moon).
An enthusiast's exploration and investigation of biographies in Wikipedia, to learn and to know more about Riccioli's discontinued names.
See also page 61 in Whitaker's book (Riccioli's nomenclature on Grimaldi's map), or: Grimaldi's map in the Linda Hall Online Moon and Lunar Map Exhibitions.
Additional research: Danny Caes
- Alcuinus (Lubbock N, Van Langren's Neperi).
Possibly Alcuin of York (735-804), English scholar, ecclesiastic, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria.
- Arzet (probably Zach, Van Langren's Nuti).
This name was not printed on Grimaldi's map, the origin (and explanation) of the name Arzet remains unknown, or... perhaps... it might be related to Augustinus Arzet Schussenried, see German Wikipedia page Liste der Abte von Schussenried.
- Bartolus (Bailly B, Wilkins's Hare).
Possibly Bartolus de Saxoferrato (1313-1357), Italian law professor.
Now, Gregory Woods explored and investigated the name Bartolus and detected a very interesting Wikipedia-page:
This is the Jesuit student astronomer Daniello Bartoli who first saw the cloud belts on Jupiter with Zucchi, 17 May 1630 according to Riccioli.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniello_Bartoli
Thanks Gregory!!! - DannyCaes DannyCaes Jan 27, 2017
- Beda (Censorinus N, Van Langren's Golii).
Possibly Beda Venerabilis (672/673-735), English monk at the Northumbrian monastery.
- Claramontius (a darkish area southeast of Fabricius, Metius, and Rheita) (could it have been Mare Australe?).
This name was already used by Langrenus (Claramontii).
Possibly Scipio Claramontius (or: Scipione Chiaramonti, 1565-1652), Italian astronomer and philosopher, author of Antitycho (1621).
- Dantes (Gambart C, Lamech's Moreux).
Is Riccioli's discontinued name Dantes perhaps related to the name of the farside crater which is officially known as Dante?
- Deriennes (Letronne A bright spot). This name was already used by Langrenus (Derienni).
Possibly Jean Deriennes (1591-1662), French professor of philosophy and mathematics.
- Dionysius Exiguus (Censorinus C).
Dennis the Small, the Dwarf, the Little, the Short, the Humble (470-544), 6th-century monk.
- Dominicus Maria (a dark area, east of Copernicus).
Possibly Dominicus (Domenico Maria) Ferrabosco (1513-1574), Italian musician and composer.
- Ecphantus (Gruithuisen Gamma and Delta).
Possibly Ecphantus the Pythagorean, Greek pre-Socratic philosopher.
- Eustachius (Sirsalis Z).
Possibly Bartolomeo Eustachi (Eustachius, 1500/1514-1574), one of the founders of the science of human anatomy.
- Goris (near Petavius and Vendelinus).
This is part of the name Terra Vigoris, printed along the east-southeastern lunar limb in Grimaldi's map, as: Terra Vi goris.
It is also seen as "Goris" on the lunar map made by J.Keill, see Figure 57 on page 89 of Whitaker's book.
- Hermes (a dark area, between Atlas and Lacus Spei).
See: Hermes, Olympian God.
- Iunctinus (Fra Mauro Sigma).
Possibly Francesco Giuntini/ Franciscus Junctinus (1523-1590), French theologian.
- Kristmannus (Lacus Excellentiae).
Nothing about Kristmannus on Wikipedia. Printed as Kristmanus on Grimaldi's map (one 'n').
- Linemannus (Flamsteed Kappa, etc...).
Possibly Albertus Linemannus (1603-1653), German mathematician and astronomer. (see German Wikipedia page Albrecht Linemann).
One of Hevelius's thirteen preliminary names seems to have been Desertum Linnemanni (see page 54 in Whitaker's book).
- Moletius (Fra Mauro Lambda).
Possibly Joseph (or Josephus) Moletius, mathematician and geographer (no Wikipedia page detected).
- Morinus (a bright area, near or at the northeastern "rim" of Mare Humorum).
Possibly Jean-Baptiste Morin (1583-1656), French mathematician, astrologer, and astronomer.
- Mulerius (Metius).
Possibly Nicolaus Mulerius (Nicolaas Des Muliers, 1564-1630), Belgian-Dutch professor of medicine and mathematics.
- Munosius (Wolf).
Possibly Hieronymus Munosius, an astronomer related to Tycho's supernova (no Wikipedia page detected).
- Origanus (Darney Tau + Chi bright spot).
Possibly David Origanus (David Tost, 1558-1628/29), German astronomer and professor of Greek language and mathematics.
- Osymandies (Mercurius).
Possibly related to Ramesses II, the third Egyptian pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty, also known as Ozymandias.
- Profatius (Nicollet B bright spot).
Possibly Jacob ben Machir ibn Tibbon (Don Profiat Tibbon/ Prophatius/ Profatius Judaeus, circa 1236- circa 1304), astronomer and physician.
- Zoroaster (Mare Humboldtianum).
See: Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra), Persian prophet and founder of Zoroastrianism.
Well-known names from Riccioli, slightly moved by the IAU to other (nearby) locations, and replaced by other names from other selenographers, or from Riccioli himself...
- Alfraganus (IAU: Zollner)
- Anaxagoras (IAU: Goldschmidt)
- Anaximander (IAU: Carpenter)
- Anaximenes (IAU: Pascal)
- Aratus (IAU: the 'bay' of Mons Hadley)
- Archytas (IAU: Egede A)
- Ariadaeus (IAU: Dionysius)
- Bayer (IAU: Schiller)
- Berosus (IAU: Hahn)
- Cabeus (IAU: Newton)
- Calippus (IAU: Alexander)
- Capuanus (IAU: Ramsden)
- Cepheus (IAU: Franklin)
- Cichus (IAU: Capuanus)
- Conon (IAU: the 'bay' SW of Mons Bradley)
- Cusanus (IAU: Tobias Mayer Alpha)
- Dionysius (IAU: Delambre)
- Fernelius (IAU: Nonius)
- Fontana (IAU: Zupus)
- Galilaei (IAU: Reiner Gamma)
- Hagecius (IAU: Hommel)
- Hainzel (IAU: Mee)
- Herigonius (IAU: Herigonius Delta)
- Hommel (IAU: Pitiscus)
- Hyginus (IAU: a dark spot nearby) (Whitaker doesn't mention where exactly)
- Julius Caesar (IAU: Boscovich)
- Licetus (IAU: Cuvier)
- Lilius (IAU: Lilius + Jacobi + A)
- Malapert (IAU: Simpelius B)
- Manzinus (IAU: Boguslawsky)
- Metius (IAU: Brenner)
- Mercurius (IAU: Lacus Spei)
- Milichius (IAU: Milichius Alpha)
- Mutus (IAU: Boussingault B and E)
- Nonius (IAU: Kaiser)
- Phocylides (IAU: Phocylides + Nasmyth)
- Pitiscus (IAU: Vlacq)
- Rhaeticus (IAU: dark area nearby) (Whitaker doesn't mention where exactly)
- Rocca (IAU: part of Lacus Aestatis)
- Rothmann (IAU: Lacus Timoris)
- Sasserides (IAU: Ball C)
- Schiller (IAU: Schiller basin dark area) (I have to investigate this)
- Snellius (IAU: Stevinus)
- Sosigenes (IAU: Julius Caesar)
- Stadius (IAU: dark area nearby) (Whitaker doesn't mention where exactly)
- Stevinus (IAU: Snellius)
- Sulpicius Gallus (IAU: Sulpicius Gallus M bright spot)
- Tannerus (IAU: Manzinus)
- Thales (IAU: Strabo)
- Theaetetus (IAU: the 'bay' at Calippus Omega)
- Theon Junior (IAU: Taylor)
- Theon Senior (IAU: Taylor A)
- Timaeus (IAU: Plato Psi, etc...)
- Vieta (IAU: Vieta A, B, and Fourier)
- Vitruvius (IAU: Dawes)
Terra
Terra Caloris (Land of Heat).
Terra Fertilitatis (Land of Fertility).
Terra Grandinis (Land of Hail).
Terra Mannae (Land of Manna).
Terra Nivium (Land of Snows).
Terra Pruinae (Land of Frost).
Terra Sanitatis (Land of Healthiness).
Terra Siccitatis (Land of Dryness).
Terra Sterilitatis (Land of Sterility).
Terra Vigoris (Land of Vigour).
Terra Vitae (Land of Life).
See also the page Terra.
Palus
Palus Nebularum (Marsh of Fogs).
Palus Nimborum (Marsh of Rain clouds).
Peninsula
Peninsula Deliriorum (Peninsula of Insanities).
Peninsula Fulgurum (Peninsula of Lightning).
Peninsula Fulminum (Peninsula of Thunder).
Insula
Insula Ventorum (Island of Winds).
Littus
Littus Eclipticum (Ecliptic Shore).
