Ostwald (crater)

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Ostwald
Ostwald crater AS16-M-3001 ASU.jpg
Apollo 16 mapping camera image (north is in upper right)
Coordinates 10°24′N121°54′E / 10.4°N 121.9°E / 10.4; 121.9
Diameter 104 km
Depth 3.9 km
Colongitude 239° at sunrise
Eponym Wilhelm Ostwald
Oblique Apollo 14 Hasselblad camera image Ostwald crater AS14-75-10306.jpg
Oblique Apollo 14 Hasselblad camera image

Ostwald is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies just to the east of the crater Guyot, and near the northern border of Ibn Firnas. Recht lies along its eastern rim.

Contents

This is a worn and eroded crater formation with an irregular rim and inner wall due to multiple small impacts. A brief crater chain forms a cleft in the western inner face. The interior is somewhat more level, but is pock-marked by a multitude of tiny craterlets. There are some low central ridges to the south and northeast of the midpoint.

Naming

The crater is named after German chemist and Nobel laureate Wilhelm Ostwald. Prior to naming in 1970 by the IAU, [1] this crater was known as Crater 212. [2]

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 Ostwald.

OstwaldLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
Y13.6° N121.0° E24 km

References

  1. Ostwald, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
  2. Lunar Farside Chart (LFC-1A)