Impact crater

Cassini

A crater in the northeastern part of Mare Imbrium, close to the Alpine region. Smaller craters inside help distinguish it from nearby formations.

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Cassini and surrounding lunar terrain in the LROC Wide Angle Camera mosaic
Cassini · North up, east right. Open image ↗
NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University · LROC WAC mosaic via USGS. Regional map crop; lighting is fixed and does not follow the selected date.
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Lunar north up, with geocentric libration. Full atlas mode shows the entire facing surface; switch to Selected phase for today’s illumination. Choose a different date in the atlas.

How to observe Cassini

Try to separate the interior craters, then widen the view to include Montes Alpes.

Finding the region

Look at 40.25° N, 4.64° E on the lunar disc. The chart marker identifies the catalogue centre. Start with a wide field and use the nearby formations below as landmarks.

Equipment & conditions

Start at low magnification to identify the rim. Move to a moderate power when the air is steady; low sunlight usually makes walls and floor relief easier to distinguish. A bright ray system can be more conspicuous near full Moon.

Lighting

For surface relief, try a time when the Sun is low over this region. To compare surface brightness and any bright rays, return under higher illumination. The atlas calculates the solar elevation at the formation’s centre for any selected date.

View Cassini in the atlas

IAU / USGS Gazetteer

Official feature record

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Approved name
Cassini
Feature classification
Crater, craters
Catalogue diameter
56.88 km
Centre latitude
40.25° N
Centre longitude
4.64° E
Name origin (Gazetteer)
Giovanni Domenico; Italian-French astronomer (1625-1712); Jacques; French astronomer (1677-1756).

Coordinates are selenographic, with east-positive longitude. Dimensions are the Gazetteer’s catalogue values; for extended formations they do not represent a circular crater diameter. Data snapshot: 2026-09-16. Observing guidance above is separate from the official record.

Nearby formations

The four closest catalogue entries, measured from their centres.

LROC photograph of Montes CaucasusMountain range

Montes Caucasus

A mountain group between Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis. It forms a useful bridge between two major lunar plains.

LROC photograph of Montes AlpesMountain range

Montes Alpes

A mountainous region along the northeastern border of Mare Imbrium. Vallis Alpes cuts a distinctive path through this terrain.

LROC photograph of Vallis AlpesValley / rille / scarp

Vallis Alpes

The Alpine Valley cuts through Montes Alpes near the northeastern edge of Mare Imbrium. The main valley is much easier to detect than the narrow channel within it.

LROC photograph of EudoxusImpact crater

Eudoxus

A northern highland crater immediately south of Aristoteles. Its terraced walls enclose an uneven floor.