The crater Cassini can be found on the eastern edge of Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains). It is named after the famous Italian/French astronomers Giovanni Cassini and Jacques Cassini. Giovanni discovered four Moons of Saturn and also noticed the division in the rings. The Cassini Spacecraft (1997-2017) was also named after him. His son, Jacques, followed in his father's footsteps and made many contributions to the field of astronomy and cartography.
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| Cassini (Image Credit: NASA LRO) |
Cassini is a moderate sized crater with a diameter of 57km and a depth of 1,200m. There are two noticeable craters (Cassini A and Cassini B) found within the walls of the larger crater.
Observation
My abbreviated observation record can be found below:
My abbreviated observation record can be found below:
| Date | 2020-05-29 |
| Time | 22:33 |
| Sky | Clear |
| Telescope | 8" Reflector (1200mm F.L.) |
| Eyepiece | 10mm (2x Barlow) |
| Magnification | 240x |
Comments
I noted that the southeastern section of the Lunar Alps (Montes Alpes) points directly to Cassini. The floor of the crater seemed to be somewhat flooded (smooth surface) with two other craters located within. This would speak to the age of Cassini and its two enclave craters. The crater may be close in age to the flooded Mare Imbrium. There was a smaller crater (Cassini M) found on the northwest edge of the border. A large mountain could also be found just beyond the southeast border of Cassini.
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| Cassini 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 #34, highlighted below.
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| Cassini (Crater) |
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