A Busier Longo
Explanation:
This crater looks like an older, busier and more battered version of yesterday's Longomontanus. The reason Maginus looks similar is that it is a similar sized (163 km diameter) and similar aged large crater that has suffered a similar history. Overlapping craters on Maginus' rim are probably Orientale secondaries, as may be the flooded craters on Maginius' floor. Like Longo, the floor of Magninus is made of some material that appears to have flooded the large crater. Unlike Longo, with its hint of a comp[ex inner peak ring, Maginus just has the stumpy remains of a central peak. Probably all of the older craters in the southern highlands had a similar history - Longomontanus and Maginus stand out because they are the biggest, after Clavius.
—
Chuck Wood
Technical Details:
Oct 6, 2004. LX 200 12" + 2X barlow (focal length 6000 mm) + image processing with Iris.
Related Links:
Lunar Orbiter IV View
Rukl Atlas of the Moon, Sheet 73
