A worn rim on the Moon’s far side

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

crater

Coordinates

40.6442° S, 133.5339° W

Diameter

105.76 km

IAU approval

1970/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-122 · Brouwer

Geological Period

Nectarian

Geological Chronicle

On the Moon’s far side, Buffon lies a crater diameter south of the walled plain Chebyshev. Langmuir lies to the northeast and Leavitt to the southwest; Buffon is nearly midway among these formations.

Buffon dates to the Nectarian period. Its worn rim can still be traced through rugged terrain, though it is irregular and rounded after a history of lesser impacts. A tiny crater lies across the northern rim, and the satellite crater Buffon D sits along the inner eastern wall.

The floor is generally level but remains rugged and irregular, particularly in the eastern half. An infrared spectrum of pure crystalline plagioclase has been identified on the central peak and the east and southwest floor.

The crater takes its name from French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the designation in 1970.

Chronology & Exploration

1. Nectarian Formation period

   Buffon dates to the Nectarian period on the lunar geologic timescale.

2. Undated Plagioclase spectrum identified

   An infrared spectrum of pure crystalline plagioclase has been identified on the central peak and the east and southwest floor.

3. 1970 Designation adopted

   The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the crater’s designation.

Scientific Sources & References

• International Astronomical Union Gazetteer — Registry record for the crater’s identity, coordinates, diameter and name origin.
• Wikipedia: Buffon (crater) — Local source for Buffon’s location, morphology, geologic period and spectral observation.

Name Origin

Georges Louis Leclerc; French natural historian (1707-1788).