Copernicus Crater Named for Nicolaus Copernicus, the Crater is 93km or 58 miles across, that would be like a crater stretching from Dayton, Ohio to Cincinnati, Ohio. Copernicus Crater is 3.8km or 2.4 miles deep and has a relatively young and easily visible ejecta ray pattern.
The crater rays spread as far as 800 kilometers or 500 miles across the surrounding mare, that is about twice the width of the State of Ohio, and overlying rays from the craters Aristarchus
and Kepler. The rays are less distinct than the long, linear rays extending from Tycho, instead forming a nebulous pattern
with plumy markings. In multiple locations the rays lie at glancing angles, instead of forming a true radial dispersal.
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a heliocentric model of the universe
which placed the Sun, rather than the Earth, at the center.
I captured this close-up from my backyard observatory in Dayton, Ohio.
Image Details:
Lunar Impact Crater Copernicus on 05-10-2014
Canon Rebel Xsi DSLR Camera, 2x barlow, & 10″ F6.3 sct scope
ISO 400, 1/50 sec. exp.
Best Regards,
John Chumack
www.galacticimages.com
