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| Coordinates | 27°42′N 55°30′E / 27.7°N 55.5°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 126 km |
| Depth | 2.7 km |
| Colongitude | 304° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Cleomedes |
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Cleomedes is a prominent lunar impact crater located in the northeast part of the visible Moon, to the north of Mare Crisium. It was named after Greek astronomer Cleomedes.[1] It is surrounded by rough ground with multiple crater impacts. The irregular crater Tralles intrudes into the northwest rim. To the east is Delmotte. North of Cleomedes is a triple-crater formation with Burckhardt occupying the center.
The outer wall of Cleomedes is heavily worn and eroded, especially along the southern part of the wall. Cleomedes C lies across the south-southwest rim. The crater floor is nearly flat, with a small central peak to the north of the midpoint, forming a linear ridge toward the north-northeast. There are several notable craterlets on the floor, including a pair of overlapping craters just inside the northwest rim.
A rille named Rima Cleomedes crosses the northern floor, running southeast from the northwest rim. This rille branches in a fork after crossing the crater mid-line. Smaller clefts lie in the southeast part of the floor.
Cleomedes is one of the largest craters of Nectarian age.[2]
- ^ "Cleomedes (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ^ The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. By Don E. Wilhelms, John F. McCauley, and Newell J. Trask. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington: 1987. Table 9-4.