Donner (crater)
Encyclopedia
Donner is a lunar
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. During favorable libration
s this part of the lunar surface can be brought into view of the Earth
, but the site is viewed from the edge and so not much detail can be seen.
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. 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.
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...
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...
on the far side 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...
. It is located just to the northeast of the Mare Australe
Mare Australe
Mare Australe is a lunar mare located in the southeastern hemisphere of the Moon. It is 603 kilometers in diameter, overlapping the near and far sides of the Moon. Smooth, dark volcanic basalt lines the bottom of the mare...
, behind the southeastern limb of the Moon. 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 this part of the lunar surface can be brought into view of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, but the site is viewed from the edge and so not much detail can be seen.
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. 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.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Donner.| Donner | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |