Denning (lunar crater)

Denning
	Lunar Orbiter 1 image
Coordinates	16°24′S 142°36′E / 16.4°S 142.6°E
Diameter	44.18 km (27.45 mi)
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	218° at sunrise
Eponym	William F. Denning

Apollo 15 image showing Denning to the upper left. Note the high-albedo crater at right center. *NASA photo.*

Denning is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon.^[2] It lies about midway between the craters Levi-Civita to the south and Marconi to the north-northeast. About two crater diameters to the southeast is the huge walled plain called Gagarin.^[3]

The rim of this worn crater is circular but somewhat irregular-edged. There is a low central rise at the midpoint consisting of at least two hills. Attached to the southwest outer rim is the larger satellite crater Denning R. About one crater diameter the southeast of Denning is a bright patch of high-albedo surface.^[4]^: 102 This patch was most likely created by a small, relatively recent impact.

This crater is named after British astronomer William F. Denning (1848–1931).^[5] 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 Denning.^[6]

Denning^[4]^: 297	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
B	15.2° S	143.5° E	32 km
C	14.5° S	145.3° E	17 km
D	16.1° S	144.1° E	14 km
L	18.8° S	143.2° E	21 km
R	17.2° S	141.2° E	72 km
U	16.0° S	138.6° E	30 km
V	15.5° S	139.7° E	26 km
Y	14.0° S	142.3° E	52 km
Z	12.9° S	142.5° E	14 km

References

1 2 "Denning". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-08-16.
↑ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.
↑ Byrne, Charles J. (2008). The Far Side of the Moon. Springer. p. 27–28. ISBN 978-1-4899-8806-5.
1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.

[GPN-1] 1 2 "Denning". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-08-16.

[Moore_2000-2] Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.

[Byrne_2008-3] Byrne, Charles J. (2008). The Far Side of the Moon. Springer. p. 27–28. ISBN 978-1-4899-8806-5.

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

[Menzel_et_al_1971-5] 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.

[Grego_2015-6] 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.

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