A 132-Kilometer Escarpment Near Mercator Crater

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

rupes

Coordinates

30.21° S · 22.84° W

Diameter

132.4 km

IAU approval

1985/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-94 · Pitatus

Geological Chronicle

Rupes Mercator is a lunar escarpment extending 132.4 kilometers across the Pitatus quadrangle on the Moon. Located near latitude 30.2° S and longitude 22.8° W, the feature gets its name from the adjacent Mercator crater, honoring the Flemish geographer and mathematician Gérard Mercator. The International Astronomical Union officially assigned the name in 1935.

Chronology & Exploration

1. 1935 Name Adoption

   The International Astronomical Union officially assigns the name Rupes Mercator.

Scientific Sources & References

• IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature — Official name, feature type, coordinates, dimensions, approval and name origin.
• Wikipedia — Source Wikipedia entry

Name Origin

Named from nearby crater.