Couder (crater)
Encyclopedia
Couder is a small lunar
impact crater
that is located just behind the western limb of the Moon
, in a region of the surface that is brought into view during favorable libration
s. It lies on the inner foothills of the Montes Cordillera
, a ring-shaped mountain range that surrounds the Mare Orientale
impact basin.
This region is relatively devoid of major craters, with the nearest being Schlüter
almost due east. Slightly farther to the south of Couder is Maunder
, at the edge of the mare
. Couder was designated Maunder Z prior to being named by the IAU
.
This is a bowl-shaped crater with a sharp rim and an interior floor about half the diameter of the crater. The crater is slightly long along a line to the northwest, where the inner wall is also at its widest. It is otherwise an undistinguished crater formation.
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
that is located just behind the western limb of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, in a region of the surface that is brought into view during favorable libration
Libration
In astronomy, libration is an oscillating motion of orbiting bodies relative to each other, notably including the motion of the Moon relative to Earth, or of Trojan asteroids relative to planets.-Lunar libration:...
s. It lies on the inner foothills of the Montes Cordillera
Montes Cordillera
Montes Cordillera is a mountain range on the Moon. This feature forms the outer wall of peaks that surround the Mare Orientale impact basin, the inner ring being formed by the Montes Rook...
, a ring-shaped mountain range that surrounds the Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale is one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bull's-eye. Located on the extreme western edge of the lunar nearside, this impact basin is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective.Material from this basin was not sampled by the Apollo program...
impact basin.
This region is relatively devoid of major craters, with the nearest being Schlüter
Schlüter (crater)
Schlüter is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon's near side. It lies along the northwestern face of the Montes Cordillera mountain range that encircles the Mare Orientale. Nearly attached to the eastern rim is the damaged crater Hartwig.Schlüter has an irregular...
almost due east. Slightly farther to the south of Couder is Maunder
Maunder (lunar crater)
Maunder is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the western limb. This region is sometimes brought into view during favorable librations, but not much detail can be seen. The crater lies at the northern end of the Mare Orientale, within the ring of...
, at the edge of the mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
. Couder was designated Maunder Z prior to being named by the IAU
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
.
This is a bowl-shaped crater with a sharp rim and an interior floor about half the diameter of the crater. The crater is slightly long along a line to the northwest, where the inner wall is also at its widest. It is otherwise an undistinguished crater formation.