De Forest (crater)

De Forest
LRO image
Coordinates77°18′S 162°06′W / 77.3°S 162.1°W / -77.3; -162.1
Diameter56.26 km (34.96 mi)[1]
DepthUnknown
Colongitude167° at sunrise
FormationUpper Imbrian[2][3]
EponymLee de Forest
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 image facing west, with De Forest at right and De Forest N at left

De Forest is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon.[4] It is located in the deep southern hemisphere, within the best fit impact eclipse of the South Pole-Aitken basin.[3] De Forest liest to the west of the large walled plain designated Zeeman[5] and due north of the larger crater Numerov.[6] Because of its proximity to the southern pole, this crater receives sunlight at an oblique angle when it is on the illuminated half of the Moon.

On the lunar geologic timescale, De Forest dates to the Upper Imbrian period.[2][3] This is a relatively young formation with features that have not been significantly worn by impacts. The rim is sharp-edged and circular, but somewhat irregular with a small outer rampart. The wide inner wall has multiple terraces, and sections near the rim give the appearance of slumping. At the midpoint of the irregular floor is a relatively large, angular central peak.[7]: 142  An impact melt deposit has been detected within the crater,[3] and a ray system has been identified extending outward from the rim.[8]

This crater is named after American inventor Lee de Forest (1873–1961).[9] Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1970.[1]

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 De Forest.[10]

De Forest[7]: 296  Latitude Longitude Diameter
N 79.5° S 164.7° W 41 km
P 80.0° S 176.0° W 18 km

References

  1. 1 2 "De Forest". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  2. 1 2 Moriarty, D. P.; Pieters, C. M. (March 2018). "The Character of South Pole-Aitken Basin: Patterns of Surface and Subsurface Composition". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 123 (3): 729–747. Bibcode:2018JGRE..123..729M. doi:10.1002/2017JE005364.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gagnon, Samuel; et al. (October 2026). "Impact melt deposits in the south polar region of the Moon". Planetary and Space Science. 280 106317. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2026.106317.
  4. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.
  5. ↑ Byrne, Charles J. (2008). The Far Side of the Moon. Springer. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-4899-8806-5.
  6. ↑ "LAC 142" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  7. 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
  8. ↑ Lemelin, Myriam; et al. (March 2022). "Compositional Maps of the Lunar Polar Regions Derived from the Kaguya Spectral Profiler and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter Data". The Planetary Science Journal. 3 (3). id. 63. Bibcode:2022PSJ.....3...63L. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ac532c.
  9. ↑ Menzel, D. H.; et al. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
  10. ↑ 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.
  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
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