Geological Chronicle
Barocius is an ancient lunar impact crater in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon, situated just southeast of the large crater Maurolycus. British amateur astronomer Patrick Moore described it as 50 miles across, with high walls broken in the northeast by two considerable craters. Clairaut lies to the southwest, and Breislak sits to the south-southeast.
Countless subsequent impacts have worn and eroded the rim of Barocius. Most notable among these is Barocius B, which lies across the northeast rim and intrudes into Barocius C. A remnant of a crater, Barocius W, lies just inside the southwest interior wall, and the interior floor has a low central peak offset north of the midpoint.
The crater was named for Italian mathematician Francesco Barozzi, who lived from 1537 to 1604. Italian astronomer Giovanni Riccioli introduced the name into lunar nomenclature in 1651, and the International Astronomical Union officially adopted it in 1935. In addition, the ejecta of Barocius M appears slightly darker than typical highland surface, which may be due to an enhancement of iron oxide.