Geological Chronicle
Burnham lies southeast of the crater Albategnius and northeast of Vogel, situated in a relatively smooth area of the lunar surface. Measuring 24.09 kilometers across, the feature exhibits an irregular, tooth-like rim that protrudes toward the southwest. This projection produces a distorted, asymmetric wall breached by distinct breaks in both the northwest and southwest sectors.
The breach in the southwestern rim opens into a valley running about 15 kilometers. Within the crater, the interior floor is rough and irregular, lacking any central peak. Instead, an abundance of small hills covers the floor from rim to rim, presenting an unusual morphology for an impact crater of its size.
The formation honors American astronomer Sherburne Wesley Burnham, a noted observer of double stars. Johann N. Krieger and Rudolf König added his name to lunar nomenclature between 1898 and 1912, an assignment that the International Astronomical Union officially adopted in 1935.