Kekulé (crater)
Encyclopedia
Kekulé is a lunar
crater
on the far side of the Moon
. It lies just to the west-southwest of the larger crater Poynting
, on the edge of the ejecta skirt surrounding the walled plain Hertzsprung
to the southeast.
The outer rim of Kekulé displays some degradation due to impact erosion, but is for the most part intact. The rim is roughly circular, with the greatest wear along the northeast rim. There a small crater lies along the rim edge. The interior floor is relatively level with no central peak, but there are some irregularities in the surface in the northeastern half and along the southern edge. There are a number of tiny craterlets pitting the interior, and a pair of small craterlets along the northern inner wall.
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 lies just to the west-southwest of the larger crater Poynting
Poynting (lunar crater)
Poynting is a large lunar impact crater located on the far side of the Moon. It is located to the north-northwest of the walled plain Hertzsprung, with the crater Fersman immediately to the east and Kekulé equally near to the west-southwest....
, on the edge of the ejecta skirt surrounding the walled plain Hertzsprung
Hertzsprung (crater)
Hertzsprung is an enormous lunar crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, beyond the western limb. In dimension, this formation is larger than several of the lunar mare areas on the near side. It lies in the northwestern fringe of the blast radius of the Mare Orientale impact basin...
to the southeast.
The outer rim of Kekulé displays some degradation due to impact erosion, but is for the most part intact. The rim is roughly circular, with the greatest wear along the northeast rim. There a small crater lies along the rim edge. The interior floor is relatively level with no central peak, but there are some irregularities in the surface in the northeastern half and along the southern edge. There are a number of tiny craterlets pitting the interior, and a pair of small craterlets along the northern inner wall.
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 Kekulé.| Kekulé | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | 13.9° N | 135.8° W | 16 km |
| M | 12.2° N | 137.4° W | 19 km |
| S | 15.4° N | 143.0° W | 21 km |
| V | 18.4° N | 142.0° W | 67 km |