Drude (crater)

Last updated
Drude
Drude crater WAC.jpg
LRO WAC image
Coordinates 38°30′S91°48′W / 38.5°S 91.8°W / -38.5; -91.8 Coordinates: 38°30′S91°48′W / 38.5°S 91.8°W / -38.5; -91.8
Diameter 24 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 92° at sunrise
Eponym Paul K. L. Drude

Drude is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, in the rugged Montes Cordillera range that forms the outer ring around the Mare Orientale impact basin. It is located just behind the west-southwest limb, and this area is sometimes brought into sight from Earth during favorable librations. However, even at such times, the crater is viewed from the edge and little detail can be seen.

This is a circular crater with a relatively sharp edge, sloping inner walls and a fairly level interior. It has not been significantly eroded, and is generally unremarkable. The nearest craters of note are Graff to the south-southeast and Focas to the north-northwest. The surrounding area is of note for the tumultuous terrain created by the ejecta from Mare Imbrium.

The satellite crater formerly known as Drude S was renamed Heyrovský by the IAU.

This crater lies north of the Mendel-Rydberg Basin, a 630 km wide impact basin of Nectarian age.

Related Research Articles

Beketov (crater)

Beketov is a small lunar impact crater that lies in the northern reaches of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It is named after Russian chemist Nikolay Beketov. To the south is the ghost crater Jansen R. Northeast of Beketov, along the edge of the mare, is the crater Vitruvius. Beketov was previously designated Jansen C before being named by the IAU. The flooded crater Jansen itself lies to the south.

Bohnenberger (crater)

Bohnenberger is a lunar impact crater that lies near the east edge of the Mare Nectaris, in the foothills of the Montes Pyrenaeus mountain range that forms the perimeter of the mare. To the east beyond the mountains is the larger crater Colombo. The crater has a low rim along the north wall, and the floor is somewhat irregular with a ridge crossing the floor. There is a small crater along the western inner wall.

Baade (crater) Lunar crater

Baade is a lunar impact crater that is located near the southwest limb of the Moon on the near side, to the southwest of the enormous Mare Orientale impact basin. The area to the east of this crater forms the junction between the 280-km-long Vallis Bouvard to the north and the narrower, 160-km-long Vallis Baade to the south-southeast. Both valleys radiate away from the impact basin to the north.

Back (crater)

Back is a small lunar impact crater that is located near the eastern limb of the Moon. It lies on the northwest edge of the Mare Smythii, and the northeast rim is adjacent to the crater Schubert. To the west is Jenkins, and to the southwest is the Weierstrass–Van Vleck crater pair.

Black (crater)

Black is a small lunar impact crater that lies just to the southeast of the walled basin Kästner. To the south-southwest is the crater Ansgarius, and to the east is the small Dale. It is located near the eastern limb of the Moon, just to the southwest of the Mare Smythii.

Cayley (crater)

Cayley is a small lunar impact crater that is located in a lava-flooded region to the west of Mare Tranquillitatis. It was named after the 19th century British mathematician Arthur Cayley. It lies to the northwest of the smaller crater De Morgan and the larger D'Arrest. West and slightly north of Cayley is Whewell, a crater of about the same dimensions. To the north is a linear rille designated Rima Ariadaeus, which follows a course to the east-southeast.

Kopff (crater)

Kopff is a lunar impact crater that lies along the eastern edge of the inner Mare Orientale impact basin, on the western limb of the Moon. In this position the crater is seen from on edge from the Earth, and its visibility is affected by libration. This situation makes it difficult to discern much detail about the crater unless it is viewed from orbit.

Eckert (crater)

Eckert is a tiny, isolated lunar impact crater in the northern part of the Mare Crisium. This crater forms a circular pit in the dark surface of the surrounding lunar mare. Just to the west is a wrinkle ridge in the mare surface, a feature that is prominent only under oblique lighting from the Sun. The nearest craters of note are Peirce to the west-northwest, and Picard to the southwest. Both of these craters lie in the Mare Crisium basin.

Lallemand (crater)

Lallemand is a small lunar impact crater that lies near the western limb of the Moon, in a region where the visibility is affected by libration effects. Because of its location, when viewed from the Earth the crater is viewed nearly from the side, limiting the amount of detail that can be seen. It lies in the northeast part of a mountain range named the Montes Rook that forms a ring around the enormous Mare Orientale impact basin. To the northeast is the Lacus Autumni and to the northwest lies the Lacus Veris, both forming small lunar maria along the sides of the range.

Chant (crater)

Chant is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, behind the southwest limb as seen from the Earth. It lies within the southwestern part of the blanket of ejecta surrounding the Mare Orientale, beyond the Montes Cordillera mountain ring. To the west-northwest is the large walled plain Blackett. Southward is the crater Mendel.

Chadwick (crater)

Chadwick is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon's surface, just beyond the southwestern limb. It is located to the northwest of the crater De Roy, and was previously designated De Roy X before being given its current name by the IAU. This region of the lunar surface lies at the southern end of the ejecta blanket that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin.

Couder (crater)

Couder is a small lunar impact crater that is located just behind the western limb of the Moon, in a region of the surface that is brought into view during favorable librations. It lies on the inner foothills of the Montes Cordillera, a ring-shaped mountain range that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin.

Inghirami (crater)

Inghirami is a lunar impact crater that is located toward the southwestern limb of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the large walled plain Schickard. Northwest of Inghirami is the wide Vallis Inghirami, a wide, straight valley that is radial to the Mare Orientale impact basin. The valley has a length of about 140 kilometers and ends at the northern edge of the crater.

Eichstadt (crater)

Eichstadt is a lunar impact crater that is located in the eastern section of the Montes Cordillera range that encircles the Mare Orientale impact basin. It lies toward the southwestern limb of the Moon, and so appears oblong when viewed from the Earth due to foreshortening. Over 200 kilometers to the east of Eichstadt are the craters Darwin and Lamarck, and to the south is Krasnov.

Chappe (crater)

Chappe is a lunar impact crater that lies along the southwestern limb of the Moon. It is nearly attached to the northern limb of the walled plain Hausen, and an equal distance from the crater Pilâtre. To the north-northwest is Blanchard.

Chalonge (crater)

Chalonge is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the larger crater Lewis, in the outer skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. To the southeast are the Montes Cordillera, a ring of mountains that encircle the Mare Orientale formation.

Steklov (crater)

Steklov is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon, past the southwestern limb. It lies in the outer skirt of ejecta from the Mare Orientale impact basin, just to the southwest of the Montes Cordillera ring of mountains. About four crater diameters to the southwest is the slightly smaller crater Chant.

Elvey (crater)

Elvey is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It is located near the northern edge of the blanket of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. To the north of Elvey is the smaller crater Nobel.

Gerasimovich (crater)

Gerasimovich is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies beyond the western limb, to the west-northwest of the immense Mare Orientale impact basin. The outer blanket of ejecta from this impact reaches nearly to the rim of Gerasimovich. Nearby craters of note include Houzeau to the north and the smaller Ellerman to the southeast.

Pease (crater)

Pease is a lunar impact crater that lies in the north-northwestern edge of the huge skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. It lies just over one crater diameter to the east of the smaller crater Butlerov. To the east-northeast of Pease is the somewhat larger Nobel.

References