Montes Secchi: Low Ridges along the Edge of Mare Fecunditatis

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

mons

Coordinates

2.72° N · 43.17° E

Diameter

52.47 km

IAU approval

1976/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-61 · Taruntius

Geological Chronicle

Montes Secchi is a minor range of low lunar ridges positioned near the northwestern edge of Mare Fecunditatis. Spanning an extent of 52.47 km, the linear formation trends from southwest to northeast. The ridges graze the northwestern outer rim of Secchi crater, from which the range derives its name. The crater itself honors the 19th-century Italian astronomer Angelo Secchi. The overall diameter of the range is smaller than that of Taruntius crater to the northeast.

In the vicinity of Montes Secchi is Mount Marilyn, a mountain with a triangular outline. Astronaut Jim Lovell named the peak after his wife in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission, when the feature was known informally as Secchi Theta. The International Astronomical Union officially approved the name Mount Marilyn on July 26, 2017

Chronology & Exploration

1. 1968 Apollo 8 Landmark Naming

   Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell designated Mount Marilyn for a triangular peak in the range previously known as Secchi Theta.

2. 2017 IAU Adoption of Mount Marilyn

   The International Astronomical Union formally approved the designation Mount Marilyn on July 26, 2017.

Scientific Sources & References

• IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature — Official name, feature type, coordinates, dimensions, approval and name origin.
• Wikipedia — English Wikipedia article on Montes Secchi (revision 1356120448)

Name Origin

Named from nearby crater.