Anaximander (crater)
![]() Oblique Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 66°58′N 51°26′W / 66.97°N 51.44°W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 68.71[1] km |
| Depth | 2.4 km |
| Colongitude | 52° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Anaximander |

Anaximander is a lunar impact crater that is located near the northwest limb of the Moon. It is joined at the northern rim by the crater Carpenter, a younger and better-defined formation. To the southeast is the much larger J. Herschel, a formation of the variety known as a walled plain.[2]
The outer wall of Anaximander is heavily worn and eroded, with multiple notches and breaks. There is no central peak, but the floor contains several small craterlets and a multitude of tiny pits from minor impacts. This crater has merged with the larger Anaximander D to the south, and there is a wide break in their common rims where they have joined. To the northwest a low rise in the surface is all that separated Anaximander from the much larger satellite crater Anaximander B.[3]: 67
The crater is named for the 6th century BCE Greek philosopher and astronomer Anaximander. Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.[1] The name was introduced into lunar nomenclature in 1651 by Giovanni Ricciolli.[4]
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 Anaximander.[5]
| Anaximander[3]: 291 | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 68.0° N | 50.2° W | 16 km |
| B | 67.8° N | 60.7° W | 78 km |
| D | 65.4° N | 50.1° W | 92 km |
| H | 65.2° N | 40.8° W | 9 km |
| R | 66.2° N | 54.9° W | 8 km |
| S | 68.3° N | 53.4° W | 7 km |
| T | 67.2° N | 52.0° W | 7 km |
| U | 64.1° N | 48.3° W | 8 km |
References
- 1 2 "Anaximander". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
- 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
- ↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 60, 210. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
- ↑ Grego, P. (2015). "Satellite Crater". In Hargitai, H.; Kereszturi, Á. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_328.
Sources
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
External links
- "A Violet Moon". Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). July 31, 1996. Retrieved August 22, 2017. - includes several craters such as Anaximander

