Cabannes and the South Pole-Aitken Basin

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

crater

Coordinates

61.24° S · 170.21° W

Diameter

81.3 km

IAU approval

1970/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-132 · Hess

Geological Period

Pre-Nectarian

Geological Chronicle

Cabannes is an impact crater spanning 81.3 kilometers in diameter in the southern hemisphere on the Moon's far side. Dating to the Pre-Nectarian period, the impact lies within the South Pole-Aitken basin, where it crosses the southern boundary of the basin's central compositional anomaly.

Subsequent impacts have worn down the rim of Cabannes, leaving a smaller crater overlying its southern edge, though nearby craters have not significantly reshaped the overall formation. Attached to the southeast rim is Cabannes J, which sits between Cabannes and the heavily impacted crater Berlage. Bellinsgauzen lies to the east, with the large walled plain Antoniadi to the south.

The crater is named after French physicist Jean Cabannes (1885–1959). The International Astronomical Union adopted the designation in 1970.

Chronology & Exploration

1. Pre-Nectarian Impact Formation

   Cabannes forms within the South Pole-Aitken basin during the Pre-Nectarian period.

2. 1970 IAU Designation

   The International Astronomical Union officially adopts the name in honor of French physicist Jean Cabannes.

Scientific Sources & References

• USGS Astrogeology Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature — Official IAU nomenclature entry and planetary coordinates for Cabannes.
• Wikipedia: Cabannes (crater) — Overview of regional geology, degraded rim morphology, and satellite craters.

Name Origin

Jean; French physicist (1885-1959).