Geological Chronicle
Babcock is on the Moon’s far side, at the northeastern edge of Mare Smythii and southeast of Mare Marginis. Purkynĕ lies to the south, with Erro to the east-northeast. The area is occasionally brought into view during favorable librations, though Babcock is seen from Earth at the edge, where little detail can be discerned.
Later impacts have eroded, notched and modified the rim, leaving it somewhat irregular and uneven. Mare materials have resurfaced the interior, which is relatively flat. In place of a central peak, the small crater Zasyadko lies very close to the crater midpoint. Another smaller crater lies near the interior’s northern edge.
The plains material in and around Babcock has moderate albedo and is typically darker than the surrounding material. It contains higher concentrations of four elements than is typical for the region. Past inundations by basaltic lava flows left the surface relatively flat, with ghost craters visible as curved ridges.
The crater is named for American astronomer Harold D. Babcock (1882 to 1968). The International Astronomical Union formally adopted its designation in 1970.