The crater Aristillus can be found on the eastern edge of Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains). It is named after the Greek astronomer Aristyllus who was one of the first astronomers to create a fixed star catalog. He was an astronomer at the school of Alexandria in Egypt. His eponymous crater on the Moon is at a similar lunar latitude as the terrestrial latitude of Alexandria on Earth. His work was completed during the 3rd Century BCE and was later used by Ptolemy and Hipparchus a century later.
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| Aristillus (Image Credit: NASA LRO) |
Aristillus is a moderate sized crater with a diameter of 55km and a depth of 3,600m. There is a formation of central peaks within the crater that rise to 900m.
Observation
My abbreviated observation record can be found below:
My abbreviated observation record can be found below:
| Date | 2020-05-29 |
| Time | 23:05 |
| Sky | Clear |
| Telescope | 8" Reflector (1200mm F.L.) |
| Eyepiece | 10mm (2x Barlow) |
| Magnification | 240x |
Comments
I noted that this crater was found between the Caucasus (Montes Caucasus) and the large crater Archimedes. As I examined the walls of the crater they seemed relatively high and had a terraced structure to them. Aristillus was approximately the same size as Cassini except it did not have a flooded floor. This indicates it is younger than its flooded neighbour. There was a protuberance at approximately 4:00 that may have been small highlands. Rilles (Narrow Channels) were noticed extending from the north edge of the crater to Mons Piton. Another rille was seen extending from 2:00 towards the southwest. A central peak formation was clearly visible. A smaller crater (Aristillus B) can be found to the northwest
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| Aristillus Sketch |
Location
To help you locate this object a map has been provided from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's Observer's Handbook. It is object #26, highlighted below.
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| Aristillus (Crater) |
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