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Leeuwenhoek (crater)

Leeuwenhoek
Coordinates29°18′S 178°42′W / 29.3°S 178.7°W / -29.3; -178.7
Diameter125 km
Depth2.4 km
Colongitude180° at sunrise
FormationNectarian[1]
EponymAntony van Leeuwenhoek
Oblique view from Apollo 17
Another oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 image, facing west

Leeuwenhoek is a lunar impact crater that lies in the Moon's southern hemisphere, on the far side from the Earth.[2] It is located to the east of the crater Birkeland and the unusual double crater Van de Graaff. To the northeast of Leeuwenhoek is Orlov and to the south is a large walled plain named Leibnitz. It is named after Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.

On the lunar geologic timescale, this formation dates to the Nectarian period.[1] The outer rim of Leeuwenhoek is worn and eroded, forming an irregular mountainous ring about the relatively level interior floor. The inner wall is wider along the western and southern sides, offsetting the floor to the northeast. At the midpoint of the interior is a central peak formation. There are a pair of small craterlets on the floor and several tiny craters. Leeuwenhoek partly overlaps the satellite crater Leeuwenhoek E to the northeast.

Satellite craters

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By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Leeuwenhoek.

Leeuwenhoek Latitude Longitude Diameter
E 28.2° S 176.7° W 117 km

References

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  1. 1 2 Moriarty, D. P.; Pieters, C. M. (March 2018). "The Character of South Pole-Aitken Basin: Patterns of Surface and Subsurface Composition". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 123 (3): 729–747. Bibcode:2018JGRE..123..729M. doi:10.1002/2017JE005364.
  2. ↑ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-4200-3344-1.

Sources

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