Plato (crater)
Lava-filled lunar crater named after the philosopher Plato.
Plato is a lava-filled impact crater on the Moon, located on the northeastern shore of the Mare Imbrium. With a diameter of 101 km, it was named after the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. The crater lies at the western extremity of the Montes Alpes mountain range.
Quick Facts
- Diameter
- 101 km / 62.8 mi
- Depth
- 1,468 m / 4,816 ft
- Colong
- 9
- Formation
- Upper Imbrian
- Eponym
- Plato
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Plato is the location of an observatory in Arthur C. Clarke's novel Earthlight (1955).
- The crater houses Moonbase Alpha in the science-fiction TV series Space: 1999.
- Plato is the home crater of Matthew Looney and Maria Looney in Jerome Beatty's children's book series.
Description
Plato is one of the largest craters of Upper Imbrian age, slightly younger than the Mare Imbrium to the south. Its irregular rim features 2 km jagged peaks that cast prominent shadows across the floor at low sun angles. Sections of the inner wall show past slumping, including a large triangular slide on the western side. The rim appears circular but is foreshortened from Earth, and its northwest side has a very high rockfall density. The flat floor has a low albedo, appearing dark compared to surrounding terrain, and is free of significant impact craters or a central peak, though a few small craterlets are scattered across it. Plato is associated with transient lunar phenomena such as flashes of light, unusual colour patterns, and hazy visibility, likely due to seeing conditions and varying solar illumination.
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