Geological Chronicle
Bowditch lies on the far side of the Moon just beyond the eastern limb, situated north of the small lunar mare Lacus Solitudinis between the craters Titius and Perel'man. While periodic libration brings the area into view, it is seen from the edge where little detail can be observed. The formation measures 43.04 kilometers in diameter and is elongated to the northeast, possibly due to a merged crater.
The rim varies in height, with its most prominent sections at the southwest face and a ridge mount to the northwest. The perimeter opens to the southwest, where a formation of irregular ridges occupies most of the gap. Basaltic lava floods the generally flat interior floor, which carries small craters and low ridges concentric with the inner wall. The Apollo 15 Preliminary Science Report describes Bowditch, together with Lacus Solitudinis to the south, as a significant volcanic feature.
Along the southwest wall of the oblong crater, a distinct strand line marks the highest level reached by lava before cooling and withdrawal, with faint traces surviving elsewhere on the wall. A prominent terrace around outer floor edges marks another stage in the subsidence of the lava. The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the name Bowditch in 1976, honoring American astronomer and mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch.