Clairaut (crater)
Clairaut is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It lies directly to the south of the crater Maurolycus and southeast of Barocius. Just to the southwest is Cuvier.
 Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 47.7°S 13.9°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 75 km |
| Depth | 2.7 km |
| Colongitude | 348° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Alexis C. Clairaut |
This crater has been eroded and damaged by subsequent impacts, particularly in the southern half of the formation. The satellite crater Clairaut A lies across the southeastern rim. The southern rim has been modified by several small craters, including Clairaut B. On the southeastern interior floor is the small crater Clairaut C. In the northern part of the floor is a merged crater pair Clairaut D. Clairaut E is attached to the exterior of the northwest rim.
The inner wall of Clairaut has been softened by impacts until now it forms a simple slope down to the relatively flat floor, at least where the floor has not been marked by impacts. There is a minor inward bulge along the inner wall to the west-northwest.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Clairaut.
| Clairaut | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 48.9° S | 14.8° E | 36 km |
| B | 48.3° S | 12.6° E | 43 km |
| C | 48.1° S | 13.5° E | 17 km |
| D | 47.3° S | 14.2° E | 12 km |
| E | 46.4° S | 12.6° E | 29 km |
| F | 46.0° S | 14.5° E | 23 km |
| G | 47.2° S | 11.7° E | 6 km |
| H | 48.9° S | 12.1° E | 9 km |
| J | 45.7° S | 12.7° E | 14 km |
| K | 49.7° S | 14.0° E | 12 km |
| M | 46.1° S | 13.8° E | 5 km |
| P | 49.0° S | 11.8° E | 9 km |
| R | 48.0° S | 15.9° E | 15 km |
| S | 47.5° S | 16.3° E | 22 km |
References
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
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- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
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- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
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- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
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