Anaximander (crater)
Crater on the Moon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anaximander is a lunar impact crater that is located near the northwest limb of the Moon. It is joined at the northern rim by the crater Carpenter, a younger and better-defined formation. To the southeast is the much larger J. Herschel, a formation of the variety known as a walled plain.[2]
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 66.97°N 51.44°W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 68.71[1] km |
| Depth | 2.4 km |
| Colongitude | 52° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Anaximander |
The outer wall of Anaximander is heavily worn and eroded, with multiple notches and breaks. There is no central peak, but the floor contains several small craterlets and a multitude of tiny pits from minor impacts. This crater has merged with the larger Anaximander D to the south, and there is a wide break in their common rims where they have joined. To the northwest a low rise in the surface is all that separated Anaximander from the much larger satellite crater Anaximander B.[3]: 67
The crater is named for the 6th century BCE Greek philosopher and astronomer Anaximander. Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.[1] The name was introduced into lunar nomenclature in 1651 by Giovanni Ricciolli.[4]
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 Anaximander.[5]
| Anaximander[3]: 291 | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 68.0° N | 50.2° W | 16 km |
| B | 67.8° N | 60.7° W | 78 km |
| D | 65.4° N | 50.1° W | 92 km |
| H | 65.2° N | 40.8° W | 9 km |
| R | 66.2° N | 54.9° W | 8 km |
| S | 68.3° N | 53.4° W | 7 km |
| T | 67.2° N | 52.0° W | 7 km |
| U | 64.1° N | 48.3° W | 8 km |
