Saussure (crater)
Encyclopedia
Saussure is a lunar
crater
. It is located in the crater-riddled terrain in the southern hemisphere of the Moon
's near side. Just to the north and nearly attached to the rim is the larger crater Orontius
. About a half crater diameter due west is the slightly larger crater Pictet
. Just to the east is a curving ridge in the surface, possibly the remains of a crater that has been almost completely overlaid by Saussure.
The outer rim of Saussure is worn but relatively intact, with only the southern edge being somewhat disrupted. A small impact lies across the northeastern rim and a pair of craterlets along the western edge. The inner walls are relatively featureless, and slope down to the generally level interior floor. This bottom surface is marked only by a few tiny craters.
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...
. It is located in the crater-riddled terrain in the southern hemisphere 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...
's near side. Just to the north and nearly attached to the rim is the larger crater Orontius
Orontius (crater)
Orontius is a lunar impact crater that lies in the heavily cratered southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It is located to the northwest of the prominent ray crater Tycho, and south and east of the large walled plain Deslandres...
. About a half crater diameter due west is the slightly larger crater Pictet
Pictet (crater)
Pictet is a lunar impact crater located just to the east of the larger and more prominent impact crater Tycho. The high-albedo rays and ejecta from Tycho lie across Pictet and spread far to the east and in other directions. Pictet is older than Tycho and is somewhat worn by past impacts. The...
. Just to the east is a curving ridge in the surface, possibly the remains of a crater that has been almost completely overlaid by Saussure.
The outer rim of Saussure is worn but relatively intact, with only the southern edge being somewhat disrupted. A small impact lies across the northeastern rim and a pair of craterlets along the western edge. The inner walls are relatively featureless, and slope down to the generally level interior floor. This bottom surface is marked only by a few tiny craters.
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 Saussure.| Saussure | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 43.8° S | 0.5° W | 19 km |
| B | 42.2° S | 3.9° W | 5 km |
| C | 44.8° S | 0.6° W | 16 km |
| Ca | 45.2° S | 0.5° W | 16 km |
| D | 46.9° S | 0.2° E | 20 km |
| E | 44.7° S | 2.1° W | 12 km |
| F | 44.3° S | 4.6° W | 4 km |