Porter (lunar crater)

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Porter
Porter crater 4136 h1.jpg
Slightly oblique Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates 56°06′S10°06′W / 56.1°S 10.1°W / -56.1; -10.1 Coordinates: 56°06′S10°06′W / 56.1°S 10.1°W / -56.1; -10.1
Diameter 52 km
Depth 2.3 km
Colongitude 12° at sunrise
Eponym Russell W. Porter
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Porter
Location of Porter on the Moon

Porter is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern part of the Moon, and lies across the northeastern rim of the huge walled plain Clavius. Although generally circular, the form of this crater has been modified by the geometry of the surface on which it was formed. The outer rim is generally lower to the southwest, where it lies on the floor of Clavius. Likewise the interior floor is flatter near this face. In contrast the northeastern floor is rougher and more uneven in the northeastern half.

The crater is somewhat worn in appearance, in comparison with the younger and sharper-edged Rutherfurd to the south along the southeastern rim of Clavius. There is a double central peak located just to the southwest of the midpoint. A small craterlet lies along the northwestern inner wall of the crater, but the formation is not otherwise significantly marked by smaller impacts.

This crater was formerly designated Clavius B before being renamed by the IAU.

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 Porter.

PorterLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
B54.4° S8.6° W12 km
C54.8° S10.3° W12 km

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Rutherfurd is a lunar impact crater located entirely within the southern rim of the much larger crater Clavius. The crater Porter is located to the north-northeast of Rutherfurd, on the northeastern rim of Clavius. Rutherfurd forms the larger member in an arcing chain of craters of decreasing size that curves across the floor of Clavius. The craters in this chain do not appear to be the same age, so this formation is most likely random in nature.

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