Tacitus is a lunarimpact crater located to the northwest of the crater Catharina, at the northern extension of the Rupes Altai ridge line. It was named after the 1st century Roman historian and writer Tacitus. Directly west is the crater Almanon, and to the northeast is Cyrillus. To the southeast of Tacitus is a long chain of craters named the Catena Abulfeda. This chain runs to the northwest from the eastern edge of the Rupes Altai, continuing for over 200 kilometers.
The crater terminates a ridge which forms part of the Rupes Altai. The outer wall has a small rampart, and the interior surfaces are terraced. The rim outline has a slight polygonal outline. There is a low ridge on the crater floor running from the north wall.
Satellite craters
Satellite craters of Tacitus
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Tacitus.
Tacitus
Latitude
Longitude
Diameter
A
17.4° S
20.5° E
11 km
B
14.0° S
20.4° E
13 km
C
13.6° S
19.8° E
9 km
D
13.5° S
21.0° E
15 km
E
13.9° S
20.1° E
9 km
F
17.1° S
17.6° E
10 km
G
17.4° S
18.2° E
6 km
H
17.8° S
18.5° E
7 km
J
14.9° S
19.7° E
3 km
K
13.1° S
20.1° E
3 km
L
14.4° S
20.9° E
6 km
M
13.9° S
21.5° E
6 km
N
16.9° S
19.4° E
7 km
O
14.0° S
21.9° E
5 km
Q
18.0° S
20.5° E
5 km
R
16.7° S
19.7° E
5 km
S
14.5° S
19.1° E
10 km
X
15.8° S
18.2° E
4 km
References
^"Tacitus (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID122125855.
