Plato .jpg

Plato
 is the lava-filled remains of a lunarimpact crater on the Moon. It is located on the northeastern shore of the Mare Imbrium, at the western extremity of the Montes Alpesmountain range. In the mare to the south are several rises collectively named the Montes Teneriffe. To the north lies the wide stretch of the Mare Frigoris. East of the crater, among the Montes Alpes, are several rillescollectively named the Rimae Plato.

Coordinates 51.6°N 9.3°W
Diameter 109 kmDepth1,468 m
Colongitude 9° at sunrise
Eponym Plato

The exact elevation was first mapped on an LTO map. Its widest diameter is 109 km long and the depth is 1 km. According to the LRO, its diameter is 106.4 km from southwest to northeast, its depth is 1,468 meters, the highest elevation is 1,092 meters below mean level (the full sphere) and the lowest is 2,560 meters. The area is less than 1,100 km² and the perimeter is over 100 km.

The age of Plato is about 3.84 billion years, only slightly younger than the Mare Imbriumto the south. The rim is irregular with 2-km-tall jagged peaks that project prominent shadows across the crater floor when the Sun is at a low angle. Sections of the inner wall display signs of past slumping, most notably a large triangular slide along the western side. The rim of Plato is circular, but from the Earth it appears oval due to foreshortening.

The flat floor of Plato has a relatively low albedo, making it appear dark in comparison to the surrounding rugged terrain. The floor is free of significant impact craters and lacks a central peak. However, there are a few small craterlets scattered across the floor.
(Wikipedia)

DAY: Thursday   DATE: 4/2/14   TIME: 22:00
SCOPE: Dob 8px 1200/f6 
EYEPIECE: Excplore Scientific 4.7mm 82°
LOCATION: Mammari