Featured Image - 12/04/2007
Lunar Crater Morphology

Apollo Metric frame AS15-M-0598 showing Timocharis crater, a 33km wide, Eratosthenian-aged, impact crater named after the Greek astronomer and philosopher Timocharis of Alexandria (ca. 320BC - 260BC). Located on the lunar nearside, in southeastern Mare Imbrium at a latitude of 26.7° N and a longitude of 346.9° E, Timocharis crater is typical of large impact craters, having a terraced crater wall (A) and a well-defined central peak complex. The central peak complex, obscured by the rim shadow, has been modified by a younger, superimposed impact crater. Visible in this image are two of the five named secondary craters (Timocharis B and C), as well as numerous smaller crater chains known as catena (B). Small secondary craters can also have a v-shaped pattern (C). The impact ejecta blanket appears as the hummocky terrain immediately adjacent to the crater, which transitions to fingers of ejecta blanket further out.

An oblique view of Timocharis crater can be seen in the Apollo Metric frame AS15-M-0863 showing more of the surrounding area.

(Apollo Image AS-15-M-0598 [NASA/JSC/Arizona State University])

Click on the image below to view an anaglyph image of Timocharis crater and surrounding area. [Note: you will need 3D glasses with red & blues lenses to view this image]. High resolution (3086x2881 PNG, 50MB) version of the image. The image was created using the Metric frames AS15-M-0597 and AS15-M-0598.

[NASA/JSC/Arizona State University]

Additional online resources

• Geologic History of the Moon, Don Wilhelms
• Damage by Impact: the case at Meteor Crater, Arizona

Space Exploration Resources

LPI