Hamilton is a lunar

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 near the southeastern 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...

. From 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...

 this crater is viewed nearly from the edge, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed. It can also become hidden from sight due to 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:...

, or brought into a more favorably viewing position.

This crater is situated almost due east of the lava

Lava

Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...

-flooded crater Oken

Oken (crater)

Oken is a lunar crater near the southeastern limb of the Moon. It is normally visible from the Earth, but is foreshortened and within the region of the surface that is subject to libration...

, near the uneven 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...

. To the northeast of Hamilton, along the lunar limb, is the flooded crater Gum

Gum (crater)

Gum is a lunar crater that is located near the southeastern limb of the Moon, and is viewed nearly from the side from Earth. It lies along the western edge of the irregular Mare Australe, to the northeast of the crater Hamilton...

. Less than three crater diameters to the south is the flooded walled plain Lyot

Lyot (lunar crater)

Lyot is a large lunar crater that is located along the southeastern limb of the Moon. It lies within the irregular and patchy lunar mare named Mare Australe, and to the south of the crater Hamilton...

.

This is a nearly circular crater, although the rim to the north is somewhat straightened. It has a well-formed edge that has not been noticeably degraded through impact erosion. There are terraces along the interior sides, particularly along the western edge (which is hidden from view from the Earth.) The interior floor is deep and uneven, with an impact feature joining the mid-point to the north-northwestern inner wall.

To the east and southeast of this crater is a larger, arcing feature that resembles the remains of an old crater. Hamilton lies concentric with the circle in the surface that would be described by this arc. However only the eastern portion of the old rim survives.

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 Hamilton.

Hamilton	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
B	42.6° S	82.1° E	32 km