Draper (crater)

Draper
	Lunar Orbiter 4 image of Draper (upper left) and Draper C (lower right)
Coordinates	17°36′N 21°42′W / 17.6°N 21.7°W
Diameter	8.28 km (5.14 mi)
Depth	1.76 km (1.09 mi)
Colongitude	22° at sunrise
Eponym	Henry Draper

Draper is a small lunar impact crater in the southern part of the Mare Imbrium.^[3] It is a circular, cup-shaped formation, with a tiny craterlet intruding into the northeastern rim. To the north-northeast is the crater Pytheas,^[4]^: 40 and the two are joined by a slender ridge.^[5] Just to the southeast is the slightly smaller crater identified as Draper C, and to the south lies the Montes Carpatus range.

This crater is named after American astronomer Henry Draper (1837-1882),^[1] a pioneer of astrophotography. His name was introduced into lunar nomenclature by Johann N. Krieger and Rudolf König in 1912.^[6] Its designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.^[1]

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Draper.^[7]

Draper^[4]^: 297	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	17.9° N	23.4° W	8 km
C	17.1° N	21.5° W	4 km

References

1 2 3 "Draper". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
↑ Joshi, Maitri P. (February 2017). "Physical properties of lunar craters". Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 17 (3). id. 24. Bibcode:2017RAA....17...24J. doi:10.1088/1674-4527/17/3/24.
↑ Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
↑ Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 150. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.
↑ Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 165–168, 226. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
↑ Grego, P. (2015). "Satellite Crater". In Hargitai, H.; Kereszturi, Á. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_328.

Sources

Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.

External links

Draper at The Moon Wiki

[GPN-1] 1 2 3 "Draper". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. Retrieved 2026-08-28.

[Joshi_et_al_2017-2] Joshi, Maitri P. (February 2017). "Physical properties of lunar craters". Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 17 (3). id. 24. Bibcode:2017RAA....17...24J. doi:10.1088/1674-4527/17/3/24.

[Moore_2001-3] Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.

[Bussey_Spudis_2004-4] 1 2 Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.

[Grego_2005-5] Grego, Peter (2005). The Moon and How to Observe It. Astronomers' Observing Guides Series. London: Springer-Verlag. p. 150. ISBN 1-85233-748-6.

[Whitaker_1999-6] Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. pp. 165–168, 226. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.

[Grego_2015-7] Grego, P. (2015). "Satellite Crater". In Hargitai, H.; Kereszturi, Á. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_328.

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