Pythagoras with C14 Edge

[astroavani]

If the Moon were rotated 65 ° to the south, Pythagoras would replace Copernicus as the most impressive visible crater. Pythagoras is a larger version of Copernicus - 130 km in diameter and about 5 km deep, compared with 93 km and 3.8 km. Surprisingly, the highest central peaks are higher than some of the surrounding terrain, in violation of the Mädler Rule. This rule has never been confirmed with modern data, but it seems right. Unlike Copernicus, Pythagoras does not seem to retain its rays when seen on the full moon. Its greater age was recognized during the Apollo era when it was mapped as being of the same age as the ancient lavas of Imbrium. One thing the ancient astronomers did not know is that the central peaks of Pythagoras, such as those of Anaxagoras, Philolaus, and Carpenter, contain pure anorthosite, remnants of ocean magma. Like Moretus near the south pole, Pythagoras offers an oblique view of what large, complex, fresh craters really look like.
If we had been observing a billion years ago, when the two polar craters were cool with light rays, Copernicus could still be hot with molten lava on the ground. Tycho in that case, would still be 900 million years in the future.
Source: LPOD - Chuck Wood (several)
Adaptation: Avani Soares
https://www.astrobin.com/full/333220/0/?nc=user

[Pete Presland]

Fantastic image as always Avani, very interesting facts as well.

[alan potts]

Always a pleasure to look at your work Avani.

[Mr Spock]

A very nice image. Lots of detail on view and the lighting shows up those older craters well.

[Chris]

Superb!

[laudropb]

Yet again a wonderful image and write up Avani.

[ronl]

Once again, another masterpiece, and superb information.

 

[Peter Drew]

Always a great post! Do I see another lunar X?  

[nightfisher]

super image, sharp as a scalpel and full of detail

[Ruud]

It is amazing how beautiful this image is. Great work! Cutting edge selenography!

Thank you, Avani.

You probably know this, but Pythagoras discovered that the square root of two cannot be expressed as a fraction. This, however, was against the dogma of the  religion he had fonded, so he kept it a secret for twenty years. He was a very colourful person and he well deserves that such a spectacular crater was named after him.

[astroavani]

On 12/02/2018 at 12:03, Peter Drew said:

Always a great post! Do I see another lunar X?  

Point to me dear Peter!

[astroavani]

Thanks all kind comments!

[Peter Drew]

3 hours ago, astroavani said:

Point to me dear Peter!

To me, the central peaks of Pythagoras seem to be forming a bright X.   

[dweller25]

Very impressive photo Avani