Hevelius (crater)

Hevelius
Mosaic of Lunar Orbiter 4 images
Coordinates2°12′N 67°18′W / 2.2°N 67.3°W / 2.2; -67.3
Diameter106 km
Depth1.8 km
Colongitude68° at sunrise
EponymJohannes Hevelius
Hevelius area in selenochromatic format. More infos here : https://www.gawh.it/main/selenocromatica
Closeup of the Rimae Hevelius at low sun angle, in the northeast portion of the crater floor. From Lunar Orbiter 3

Hevelius is a low-rimmed lunar impact crater that lies at the western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum, named after the astronomer Johannes Hevelius by the IAU in 1935.[1] The smaller but prominent crater Cavalerius is joined to the northern rim by low ridges. Due south of Hevelius is the crater Lohrmann and the dark-hued Grimaldi.

The crater's name was approved by the IAU in 1970.[2]

Only a low, eroded rim of Hevelius rises above the surface. The western wall is overlain by several small impacts. The flat floor of the crater has been flooded by lava, and is now cross-crossed by a system of small clefts named the Rimae Hevelius. There is a low, one-km-high central peak offset to the northwest of the midpoint. The northeastern part of the interior is more irregular and contains a straight ridge running toward the southeast. Along the northwest floor, near the inner wall, is a small crater.

Hevelius is a crater of Nectarian age.[3]

This feature is sometimes referred to as Hevel, the astronomer's name in German (Hevelius is a Latinized form).

  1. ^ Hevelius, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
  2. ^ Kibalʹchich, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
  3. ^ 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.