Byrd near the Moon’s north pole

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

crater

Coordinates

85.4283° N, 10.0699° E

Diameter

97.49 km

IAU approval

1964/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-1 · Peary

Age

3.88 Ga ago

Geological Chronicle

Byrd lies near the Moon’s north pole. Its northern rim nearly meets Peary, which is adjacent to the pole; the smaller crater Gioia touches the remains of its southwest rim. The rim is worn and eroded, with sections distorted by intruding crater rims. The interior is longer north to south than it is wide, with a gap in the west and a southern rim that is little more than a low ridge.

Lava flows covered the interior some time after the original impact, leaving a nearly flat surface marked only by tiny craterlets. Among the impacts are craters dating from the Mare Orientale impact. The interior has no central peak at its midpoint and no ridges of significance.

Byrd is named after Richard E. Byrd, an American aviator and polar explorer. David W. G. Arthur and Ewen Whitaker introduced the name in the Rectified Lunar Atlas in 1963. The International Astronomical Union officially adopted the designation in 1964.

Chronology & Exploration

1. 3.88 Ga ago Crater age

   The impact record dates the crater to 3.88 Ga ago.

2. 1963 Name introduced

   David W. G. Arthur and Ewen Whitaker introduced Byrd’s name with the Rectified Lunar Atlas.

3. 1964 Designation adopted

   The International Astronomical Union officially adopted the designation.

Scientific Sources & References

• Byrd — IAU/USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature — Registry name, coordinates, diameter, and namesake.
• Byrd (lunar crater) — Wikipedia — Morphology, age, and naming history.

Name Origin

Richard Edwin; American explorer, aviator, navigator (1888-1957).