Deluc (crater)

Deluc
Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates55°00′S 2°48′W / 55.0°S 2.8°W / -55.0; -2.8
Diameter42.50 km (26.41 mi)[1]
Depth3.3 km (2.1 mi)
Colongitude4° at sunrise
EponymJean-André Deluc

Deluc is a lunar impact crater that lies in the southern highlands of the Moon. It is located to the south-southeast of the crater Maginus,[2] and west-northwest of the huge Clavius. Due east of Deluc is the somewhat larger crater Lilius.[3] It is 42.5[1] kilometers in diameter and 3.3 kilometers deep.

This formation dates from the Pre-Nectarian period of the lunar geologic timescale, which lasted from 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago.[4] This is a relatively worn formation with the satellite crater Deluc H intruding into the northeast rim. A triangular bulge of material covers the floor from the rim of this intruding crater to near the midpoint of the interior.[5]: 126  The small craterlet Deluc T is attached to the southern outer rim of Deluc, and joins it to the small Deluc D to the south.[6]

The remaining rim of Deluc is not quite circular, having a slight outward bulge to the northwest. The interior is worn and smoothed from a history of tiny impacts, although the edge is still well-defined. There is a tiny craterlet in the east part of the interior, but most of the remainder of the floor is level and marked only by tiny impacts.[6]

The crater is named for Swiss geologist and physicist Jean-André Deluc (1727-1817).[1] His name was included in the lunar nomenclature of Johann H. von Mädler in the 1870s.[7] Its designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.[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 Deluc.[8]

Deluc[5]: 296–297  Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 54.1° S 0.4° W 56 km
B 52.0° S 0.5° E 38 km
C 51.4° S 0.9° E 28 km
D 56.4° S 2.4° W 27 km
E 60.3° S 4.3° W 12 km
F 60.0° S 3.1° W 38 km
G 61.6° S 0.7° E 27 km
H 54.2° S 2.1° W 26 km
J 53.3° S 4.1° W 33 km
L 60.8° S 6.2° E 8 km
M 54.9° S 6.2° W 19 km
N 60.6° S 0.5° E 10 km
O 62.7° S 4.4° W 7 km
P 58.9° S 4.8° W 7 km
Q 59.0° S 3.5° W 5 km
R 55.4° S 0.6° E 22 km
S 61.9° S 0.2° E 6 km
T 55.8° S 3.1° W 10 km
U 59.0° S 2.9° W 5 km
V 61.8° S 1.7° E 9 km
W 61.6° S 1.8° W 6 km

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Deluc". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-08-09.
  2. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
  3. ↑ "LAC 126" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-08-09.
  4. ↑ Autostar Suite Astronomer Edition. CD-ROM. Meade, April 2006.
  5. 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
  6. 1 2 Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 0-913135-17-8.
  7. ↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. p. 120, 220. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  8. ↑ 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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