MOON TOUR CASSINI CRATER
All About Space UK|Issue 143
Use summer's clear nights to find a lunar crater named in honour of one of astronomy's most respected planetary observers
MOON TOUR CASSINI CRATER

The Moon's 'celebrity' craters attract lots of attention because I they are so easy to spot and are dramatic in an eyepiece. But the smaller, less dramatic craters - the ones without huge mountain peaks jabbing up from their centres or bright rays of debris surrounding them can be just as fascinating if you take the time to get to know them.

One such crater is Cassini, which is perhaps the only noteworthy feature in the unremarkable lunar plain known as Palus Nebularum, just to the south of the Alpine Valley. As you might have guessed, Cassini was named after astronomer Giovanni Cassini, who, in 1675, was the first to observe the widest gap within Saturn's rings, later named the Cassini Division in his honour. In addition, Cassini discovered four of Saturn's major moons - lapetus, Tethys, Rhea and Dione and also observed markings on Mars, too. So it was no surprise when the Cassini probe, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, was named after him.

This story is from the Issue 143 edition of All About Space UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue 143 edition of All About Space UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ALL ABOUT SPACE UKView All
"We knew that this would be a historic comet"
All About Space UK

"We knew that this would be a historic comet"

Astronomer David Levy was immortalised for his co-discovery of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 – its impact with Jupiter 29 years ago held the world in awe

time-read
8 mins  |
Issue 145
CELESTRON STARSENSE EXPLORER DX 102AZ
All About Space UK

CELESTRON STARSENSE EXPLORER DX 102AZ

Innovative technology provides the simplest and quickest solution yet to finding objects to observe, and this instrument will be very popular with beginners

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 146
MOON TOUR - COPERNICUS
All About Space UK

MOON TOUR - COPERNICUS

Get up close to the ‘Monarch of the Moon’

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 146
A HUNGRY BLACK HOLE 'SWITCHES ON' AS ASTRONOMERS WATCH IN SURPRISE
All About Space UK

A HUNGRY BLACK HOLE 'SWITCHES ON' AS ASTRONOMERS WATCH IN SURPRISE

J221951 is one of the most extreme examples yet

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 146
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE - WHY DOES JUPITER CHANGE COLOUR?
All About Space UK

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE - WHY DOES JUPITER CHANGE COLOUR?

For years, scientists have tried to work out why Jupiter’s bands frequently move and change colour. Now they believe they’ve found the answer

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 146
MARS HELICOPTER PHONES HOME AFTER A 63-DAY SILENCE
All About Space UK

MARS HELICOPTER PHONES HOME AFTER A 63-DAY SILENCE

Rugged terrain had kept Ingenuity from communicating with its robotic partner, the Perseverance rover

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 146
SIX OF THE BEST SPACE PRANKS
All About Space UK

SIX OF THE BEST SPACE PRANKS

It turns out that the sky isn’t the limit when it comes to a good old-fashioned practical joke

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 146
CLIMATES CHANGE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
All About Space UK

CLIMATES CHANGE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Alongside Earth, our planetary neighbourhood is changing. But not for the better…

time-read
8 mins  |
Issue 146
TIME APPEARED TO MOVE FIVE TIMES SLOWER IN THE FIRST BILLION YEARS AFTER THE BIG BANG
All About Space UK

TIME APPEARED TO MOVE FIVE TIMES SLOWER IN THE FIRST BILLION YEARS AFTER THE BIG BANG

Time dilation, brought about by the relativistic expansion of space, has resulted in the observed slowing of ‘clocks’ in the early universe

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 146
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH A CAPTURED ASTEROID?
All About Space UK

WHAT CAN WE DO WITH A CAPTURED ASTEROID?

Asteroids could provide us with rare resources

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 146