Fizeau (crater)

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Fizeau
Fizeau crater 5026 h1.jpg
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 image
Coordinates 58°36′S133°54′W / 58.6°S 133.9°W / -58.6; -133.9 Coordinates: 58°36′S133°54′W / 58.6°S 133.9°W / -58.6; -133.9
Diameter 111 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 137° at sunrise
Eponym Hippolyte Fizeau [1]
Another oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 image, facing west Fizeau crater 5022 h1.jpg
Another oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 image, facing west

Fizeau is a prominent lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, in the southern hemisphere. Nearby craters of note include Minkowski to the west-northwest, and Eijkman to the southwest.

The inner wall of the crater rim is multiply terraced in the northern half, while the southern rim has a shear inner surface leading down to slumped deposits on the crater floor. There is a small but prominent crater lying across the southwest rim, with an inner surface that forms terraced steps covering most of the interior. There are also smaller craterlets on the rim to the northeast and west-southwest.

The interior of Fizeau is relatively flat beyond the terraces, with only a few low rises in the northwest section of the crater and a central peak near the midpoint. Only a few tiny craterlets are located on the floor.

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 Fizeau.

FizeauLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
C56.1° S128.5° W22 km
F58.2° S124.5° W19 km
G59.2° S124.5° W54 km
Q59.8° S136.3° W28 km
S58.7° S139.9° W62 km

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References

  1. "Fizeau on Moon". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. United States Geological Survey . Retrieved 21 September 2018.