Moissan (crater)

Moissan
	Apollo 16 image
Coordinates	4°46′N 137°27′E / 4.77°N 137.45°E
Diameter	22.45 km
Depth	2.10 km
Eponym	Henri Moissan

Moissan is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, within the west rim of the large crater Mendeleev, and due south of the similar-sized Bergman.

The rim of this crater is not quite circular, with an outward bulge along the southern edge. The interior floor is irregular, with a craterlet to the southeast.^[3] The infrared spectrum of pure crystalline plagioclase has been identified along the north and northeast section of the wall.^[4]

The crater name was adopted by the IAU in 1976, and refers to French chemist and Nobel laureate Henri Moissan.^[1]

References

1 2 Moissan, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
↑ Croft, S. K. (1978). Lunar crater volumes: Interpretation by models of impact cratering and upper crustal structure. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 9th, Houston, Tex., March 13-17, 1978, Proceedings (A79-39253 16-91). Vol. 3. New York: Pergamon Press, Inc. p. 3711–3733. Bibcode:1978LPSC....9.3711C.
↑ "LTO-66D2 Bergman". Lunar Topographic Orthophotomap (LTO). Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
↑ Donaldson Hanna, K. L.; et al. (July 2014). "Global assessment of pure crystalline plagioclase across the Moon and implications for the evolution of the primary crust". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 119 (7): 1516–1545. Bibcode:2014JGRE..119.1516D. doi:10.1002/2013JE004476.

Sources

Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (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.
Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
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.
Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. Reprint: ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3
Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.

External links

Moissan at The Moon Wiki
Media related to Moissan (crater) at Wikimedia Commons

[IAU-1] 1 2 Moissan, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)

[Croft_1978-2] Croft, S. K. (1978). Lunar crater volumes: Interpretation by models of impact cratering and upper crustal structure. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 9th, Houston, Tex., March 13-17, 1978, Proceedings (A79-39253 16-91). Vol. 3. New York: Pergamon Press, Inc. p. 3711–3733. Bibcode:1978LPSC....9.3711C.

[LTO-66D2-3] "LTO-66D2 Bergman". Lunar Topographic Orthophotomap (LTO). Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 2026-05-28.

[Donaldson_Hanna_et_al_2014-4] Donaldson Hanna, K. L.; et al. (July 2014). "Global assessment of pure crystalline plagioclase across the Moon and implications for the evolution of the primary crust". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 119 (7): 1516–1545. Bibcode:2014JGRE..119.1516D. doi:10.1002/2013JE004476.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

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