Petit is a small, bowl-shaped 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...

 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 on the northwestern edge of the Mare Spumans

Mare Spumans

Mare Spumans is a lunar mare located just south of Mare Undarum on the lunar near side. It is one of the many elevated lakes contained in the Crisium basin, surrounding Mare Crisium. The surrounding basin material is of the Nectarian epoch, while the mare basalt being of the Upper Imbrian epoch...

. The name is appropriate, since Petit means small in French. But it was actually named in honor of Alexis Thérèse Petit

Alexis Thérèse Petit

Alexis Thérèse Petit was a French physicist. Petit is known for his work on the efficiencies of air- and steam-engines, published in 1818...

, a French physicist

Physicist

A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...

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The crater lies to the south of the crater Townley

Townley (crater)

Townley is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the eastern part of the Moon. It lies to the northwest of Mare Spumans and southeast of the crater Apollonius. This crater was designated Apollonius G before being assigned a name by the IAU....

, and east of Condon

Condon (crater)

Condon is a lunar crater that lies on the eastern shore of the Sinus Successus, a bay along the northeast edge of Mare Fecunditatis. It lies midway between the larger crater Apollonius to the north and the smaller Webb to the south on the Mare Fecunditatis...

. Farther to the northwest is Apollonius

Apollonius (crater)

Apollonius is a lunar crater located near the eastern limb of the Moon. It lies in the region of uplands to the west of Mare Undarum and northeast of the Sinus Successus on the Mare Fecunditatis...

. Petit was previously designated Apollonius W before being given a name 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...

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