Coordinates | 22°54′S91°00′E / 22.9°S 91.0°E Coordinates: 22°54′S91°00′E / 22.9°S 91.0°E |
---|---|
Diameter | 151 km |
Depth | Unknown |
Colongitude | 271° at sunrise |
Eponym | Pierre Curie |
Curie is a large lunar impact crater, much of which lies on the far side of the Moon as seen from the Earth. The western rim projects into the near side of the Moon, as defined by the selenographic coordinate system. However the visibility of this formation depends on the effects of libration, so that it can be brought fully into view or completely hidden depending on the orientation of the Moon. When visible, however, it is seen nearly from the side, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed.
Nearby craters of note include Schorr to the northwest and the walled plain Sklodowska to the northeast. Attached to the southeastern rim is the heavily damaged walled plain Lauritsen. Both Sklodowska and Lauritsen are smaller than Curie.
The outer rim of Curie has been damaged and reshaped by nearby impacts. The sides of the rim are relatively linear, giving the crater an overall box-like shape. The eastern part of the rim is partly overlaid by the notable satellite craters Curie C to the northeast and Curie G along the east. At the northern end the rim is overlaid by the small crater Curie Z. Several other small craters lie along the rim, especially to the southwest.
The interior floor of Curie forms a relatively level plain, at least in comparison to the terrain that surrounds the crater. However this floor is disrupted in several locations by small impacts. A cluster of such impacts lies near the southwestern rim, with several of these craters overlapping each other. The small crater Curie K is located in the southeastern part of the floor, and Curie V lies alongside the northwestern inner wall.
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Curie.
Curie | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
C | 21.1° S | 94.1° E | 47 km |
E | 22.4° S | 96.2° E | 43 km |
G | 23.6° S | 94.8° E | 53 km |
K | 23.7° S | 92.7° E | 12 km |
L | 26.3° S | 92.8° E | 21 km |
M | 28.4° S | 92.5° E | 34 km |
P | 28.4° S | 90.1° E | 26 km |
V | 22.0° S | 90.4° E | 21 km |
Z | 20.5° S | 92.2° E | 25 km |
Backlund is a worn lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, beyond the eastern limb. It lies astride the southern rim of the walled plain Pasteur, to the west of the crater Hilbert. Further to the west-southwest is Sklodowska. The north and south ends of Backlund are more worn and eroded than the intervening stretches. The interior floor is relatively flat, with the usual accompaniment of tiny impact craters marking the surface.
Biela is a lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged highlands of the southeastern Moon. It is named after Austrian astronomer Wilhelm von Biela. The crater lies to the east of Rosenberger, to the southeast of the Watt–Steinheil double crater.
Bragg is an ancient lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northwest limb. This formation has been heavily eroded and reshaped by subsequent impacts, leaving an irregular depression in the surface. The most intact portion of the rim is along the western face, while the northern and eastern rim has been nearly worn away and is overlaid by several smaller craters. The most notable of these is Bragg H, which lies across the east-southeastern rim.
Brouwer is a large lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. Intruding into the western rim of Brouwer is the younger and somewhat smaller crater Langmuir. Further to the east-southeast is the larger walled plain Blackett.
Cremona is a lunar impact crater that is located along the north-northwestern limb of the Moon. From the Earth this crater is viewed from the side, and the visibility is affected by libration effects. To be viewed in any detail, this crater must be seen or photographed from orbit. It is located midway between the crater Boole to the south-southeast and, on the far side of the Moon, the crater Lindblad.
Chebyshev is a large lunar impact crater that lies in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. The somewhat smaller crater Langmuir is intruding into the east-southeastern rim of Chebyshev, forming a chain of large craters with Brouwer on Langmuir's eastern rim.
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.
d'Alembert is a large lunar impact crater located in the northern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon, to the northeast of the somewhat smaller walled plain Campbell. Astride the southwest rim of d'Alembert is Slipher. To the north is the crater Yamamoto, and to the south-southwest lies Langevin. This walled plain has the same diameter as Clavius on the near side, making it one of the largest such formations on the Moon.
Debye is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northern hemisphere on the Moon's far side, as seen from the Earth. It lies to the south of the crater Chappell, to the southwest of the walled plain Rowland, and to the east of D'Alembert.
Dyson is a lunar impact crater, 63 kilometers in diameter, that lies on the far side of the Moon, past the northwest limb. It is located in the northern part of the surface, to the northwest of the crater Coulomb, and east of van't Hoff.
Dove is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the rugged lunar highlands in the southeastern part of the Moon. It lies to the north of the prominent crater Pitiscus.
Hagecius is a lunar impact crater in the southeastern part of the Moon's near side. It was named after 16th century Czech naturalist Tadeáš Hájek. This crater forms a triangular formation with the craters Rosenberger to the north-northwest and Nearch to the west-northwest. Like both of these craters, Hagecius has undergone erosion from subsequent impacts, and its outer rim is worn and irregular. The southeastern rim in particular is overlaid by three smaller craters designated Hagecius C, B, and G.
Fraunhofer is a lunar impact crater that is located just to the south-southwest of the walled plain Furnerius, in the southeastern part of the Moon. This crater appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, and is actually nearly circular.
Douglass is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the crater Frost and south-southwest of the large walled plain Landau.
Fowler is a large lunar impact crater that lies in the northern hemisphere on the Moon's far side. It lies to the south-southwest of the crater Esnault-Pelterie, and north of Gadomski. Overlying the eastern rim and intruding into the interior is Von Zeipel.
Frost is a lunar impact crater that is attached to the southern rim of the walled plain Landau, and lies on the far side of the Moon. Just to the east is Petropavlovskiy, and to the northeast along the edge of Landau is Razumov. The crater Douglass is located less than a crater diameter to the west-southwest.
Fridman is the remains of a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies due south of the huge walled plain Hertzsprung, and is attached to the northeastern rim of the crater Ioffe.
Sklodowska (Skłodowska) is a large lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies just past the southeastern limb, and can sometimes be viewed from Earth under favorable conditions of libration and illumination. The crater is located to the northeast of the older walled plain Curie, and to the southwest of Pasteur, another walled plain.
Lauritsen is a lunar impact crater that is located just behind the east-southeastern limb of the Moon. While it lies on the far side from the Earth, it is still possible to catch a glimpse of this area under favorable conditions of libration and illumination. The crater is situated roughly equidistant from Titius to the east and Donner to the southeast, so that the three form an equilateral triangle. To the northwest is the walled plain Curie.
Laue is a lunar impact crater that lies across the south-southwestern rim and interior floor of the huge walled plain Lorentz. This feature is located on the Moon's far side, just beyond the west-northwestern limb. Under conditions of favorable libration and illumination from the Sun, this area can be seen at a very oblique angle from the Earth.