) Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 50°18′S 9°54′E / 50.3°S 9.9°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 75 km |
| Depth | 3.8 km |
| Colongitude | 351° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Georges Cuvier |
Cuvier is a lunar impact crater on the southern part of the Moon's near side. It is attached to the east-southeast rim of the unusually shaped formation Heraclitus. To the northeast is the crater Clairaut.
The rim of this crater has been worn and eroded by subsequent impacts, leaving an outer wall that has been rounded and diminished in prominence. There is a small but notable crater pair lying across the northern rim, and two other smaller craters lie along the east and south rims. There are also several small craterlets lying across the rim to the north-northwest. Where the rim is shared with Heraclitus, there is a slight inward bulge to the wall, producing a short section where the rim appears slightly flatter.
The interior floor is level and nearly featureless, and much of the floor appears to have been resurfaced. This surface does not possess the low albedo characteristic of the lunar mare, and it matches the hue of the surrounding terrain. Instead, the floor is marked by faint traces of ray material from elsewhere.
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 Cuvier.
| Cuvier | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 52.4° S | 12.0° E | 18 km |
| B | 51.7° S | 13.8° E | 17 km |
| C | 49.9° S | 11.7° E | 9 km |
| D | 51.3° S | 7.8° E | 17 km |
| E | 52.3° S | 12.9° E | 19 km |
| F | 52.2° S | 11.2° E | 16 km |
| G | 50.8° S | 7.5° E | 8 km |
| H | 48.6° S | 8.5° E | 10 km |
| J | 49.3° S | 8.8° E | 6 km |
| K | 52.2° S | 10.0° E | 8 km |
| L | 48.9° S | 9.8° E | 13 km |
| M | 53.3° S | 10.9° E | 6 km |
| N | 53.4° S | 12.1° E | 4 km |
| O | 51.6° S | 12.1° E | 10 km |
| P | 50.0° S | 12.7° E | 11 km |
| Q | 51.6° S | 10.6° E | 13 km |
| R | 51.0° S | 13.1° E | 7 km |
References
- B. H. Foing; J.-L. Josset (2006-08-20). "Close-up on Cuvier crater ridge". ESA - SMART-1. Retrieved 2006-08-25.
- 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.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
- 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.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.