Donner (crater)

Donner
LRO mosaic
Coordinates31°24′S 98°00′E / 31.4°S 98.0°E / -31.4; 98.0
Diameter55.05 km (34.21 mi)[1]
DepthUnknown
Colongitude263° at sunrise
EponymAnders Donner
Oblique Apollo 15 image, facing south

Donner is a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located just to the northeast of the Mare Australe, behind the southeastern limb of the Moon.[2] To the northeast is the larger Titius formation,[3] while the basalt-flooded Abel lies to the southwest.

This crater has a moderately eroded outer rim, and several small and tiny craterlets lie along the edge. A joined pair of small craters lie across the southern rim and inner wall, including the Copernican period crater Donner M.[4] An unnamed, crater-like feature with about the same diameter as Donner is attached to the northern outer rim. The structure along the inner wall has been softened and rounded by a long history of minor impacts.

The interior floor is relatively level, and is pock-marked by multiple tiny craterlets. There is a curving ridge in the southern part of the floor that is attached to the inner wall, and possibly forms the remnant of a small crater rim.[5]: 100 

This formation is named after Finnish astronomer Anders Donner (1854-1938).[6] 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 Donner.[7]

Donner[5]: 297  Latitude Longitude Diameter
M 32.2° S 98.0° E 8 km
N 33.2° S 97.1° E 19 km
P 33.5° S 96.3° E 39 km
Q 34.3° S 95.6° E 15 km
R 34.4° S 92.3° E 15 km
S 32.1° S 92.9° E 23 km
T 31.1° S 94.8° E 46 km
V 30.5° S 95.7° E 19 km
Z 29.7° S 97.8° E 13 km

Donner M lies across the southern rim of the larger Donner. An impact flow extends from this satellite formation to the south.[8][9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Donner". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  2. ↑ Byrne, Charles J. (2008). The Far Side of the Moon. Springer. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-4899-8806-5.
  3. ↑ "LAC 100" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  4. ↑ Hu, Haojin; et al. (November 2025). "Lunar highland preserves meteoritic-iron-rich materials in the Earth─Moon system". The Astrophysical Journal. 993 (1). id. 148. Bibcode:2025ApJ...993..148H. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae08b5.
  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. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Neish, C. D.; et al. (March 2014). Global Distribution of Lunar Impact Melt Flows. 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held 17-21 March, 2014 at The Woodlands, Texas. LPI Contribution No. 1777. p. 1159. Bibcode:2014LPI....45.1159N.
  9. ↑ Gallinger, Cailin L.; et al. (November 2024). "Thermophysical Diversity of Young Lunar Crater Ejecta Revealed with LRO Diviner Observations". The Planetary Science Journal. 5 (11). id. 261. Bibcode:2024PSJ.....5..261G. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ad84e3.

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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