[1] It lies in a rugged stretch of land between the Rupes Altai scarp to the west and Mare Nectaris in the east.

With the large craters Cyrillus and Theophilus in the north, Catharina forms a prominent grouping that is framed by the curve of the Rupes Altai.

The floor is relatively flat but rugged, with a curved ridge formed by Catharina P, and the remains of a smaller crater near the south wall.

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Catharina.

Within the Sega CD RPG Lunar: The Silver Star (and all subsequent remakes) there is a region called the Katarina Zone, which is named after the Catharina crater.