Campanus (crater)

Campanus
	Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates	28°00′S 27°48′W / 28.0°S 27.8°W
Diameter	46.41 km (28.84 mi)
Depth	2 km (1.2 mi)
Colongitude	29° at sunrise
Formation	Lower Imbrian
Eponym	Campanus of Novara

Campanus is a lunar impact crater that is located on the southwestern edge of Mare Nubium. It forms a crater pair with Mercator just to the southeast.^[3] Along the southern rampart of Campanus is the small lunar mare named Palus Epidemiarum. To the southwest is the small crater Dunthorne.^[4]^[5]

On the lunar geologic timescale, Campanus is a crater of Lower (Early) Imbrian age.^[2] This is a well-formed crater,^[4] with a roughly circular rim, an outward bulge along the western rim and an inward bulge to the north-northwest. The outer wall has not been significantly eroded, although it has a low saddle-point along the south.^[6]^: 94 Unlike Mercator, there is a system of terraces along the inner wall.^[5]

The interior floor has been resurfaced by basaltic-lava, leaving only a small central peak projecting above the surface.^[4] As T. W. Webb noted, "Campanus contains an especially dark center".^[7] The floor has the same low albedo as the nearby mare, giving it a dark appearance. It is marked by a pair of tiny craterlets near the northeast and northwest interior walls, Campanus X and Y, respectively.^[8] A slender rille crosses the crater floor from north to south, passing to the east of the central peak.

To the west of Campanus is the rille system named Rimae Hippalus.^[4]^[3] Another rille system lies to the south, designated Rimae Ramsden.^[8]

This formation is named after Italian astronomer Campanus of Novara (c. 1200-1296). His name was included in lunar nomenclature by Italian astronomer Giovanni Riccioli in 1651.^[9] Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.^[10]

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 Campanus.^[11]

Campanus^[6]^: 294	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	26.0° S	28.6° W	11 km
B	29.2° S	29.2° W	6 km
G	28.6° S	31.3° W	10 km
K	26.6° S	28.3° W	5 km
X	27.8° S	27.3° W	4 km
Y	27.8° S	28.2° W	4 km

References

↑ Pike, R. J. (September 1976). "Crater Dimensions from Apollo Data and Supplemental Sources". The Moon. 15 (3–4): 463–477. Bibcode:1976Moon...15..463P. doi:10.1007/BF00562253.
1 2 Wilhelms, Don E.; McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J. (1987). The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 2026-04-26. See Table 10.2.
1 2 Mobberley, Martin (2006). Lunar and Planetary Webcam User's Guide. The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-84628-199-0.
1 2 3 4 Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
1 2 Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 175. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.
1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
↑ Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. pp. 137, 154–159. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3
1 2 "LAC 94" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 60, 211. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
↑ "Campanus". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
↑ 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.

[Pike_1976-1] Pike, R. J. (September 1976). "Crater Dimensions from Apollo Data and Supplemental Sources". The Moon. 15 (3–4): 463–477. Bibcode:1976Moon...15..463P. doi:10.1007/BF00562253.

[Wilhelms_et_al_1987-2] 1 2 Wilhelms, Don E.; McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J. (1987). The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 2026-04-26. See Table 10.2.

[Mobberley_2006-3] 1 2 Mobberley, Martin (2006). Lunar and Planetary Webcam User's Guide. The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-84628-199-0.

[Moore_2001-4] 1 2 3 4 Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.

[Grego_2005-5] 1 2 Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 175. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.

[Bussey_Spudis_2004-6] 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.

[Webb_1962-7] Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. pp. 137, 154–159. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3

[LAC-94-8] 1 2 "LAC 94" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-06-23.

[Whitaker_1999-9] Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 60, 211. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.

[GPN-10] "Campanus". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.

[Grego_2015-11] 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.

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