Geological Chronicle
Blancanus lies in the Moon’s rugged southern region, southwest of the walled plain Clavius. Scheiner, of comparable size, is to its northwest; the worn crater Klaproth lies south-southwest. The registry gives Blancanus a diameter of 105.82 kilometers.
Its overall appearance is somewhat subdued compared with a fresh impact, but the rim is considerably less worn than Scheiner’s and remains fairly well defined. Terraces step along the interior rim, while the floor is relatively flat with several low rises at its midpoint. A cluster of small craterlets occupies the southern floor, and a linear feature lies in the surrounding field.
Blancanus is named for the Italian astronomer and natural philosopher Giuseppe Biancani (1566–1624). Giovanni Riccioli incorporated the name into lunar nomenclature in 1651; the International Astronomical Union formally adopted the crater’s designation in 1935.