Geological Chronicle
Censorinus is a small impact crater situated on a rise southeast of Mare Tranquillitatis and southeast of Maskelyne. It is distinguished by a collar of high-albedo material and bright radial streaks that stand out against the surrounding dark mare, making it one of the brightest objects on the visible Moon when the Sun is high.
The crater features a sharp-edged, pear-shaped rim, a symmetrical cup-shaped interior, and wall slopes descending at around 32 degrees. Close-up orbital photographs show large blocks along the outer rampart, while nighttime temperature measurements indicate abundant basalt boulders across the hummocky ejecta deposit.
Italian selenographer G. B. Riccioli introduced the name in 1651 for the Roman writer Censorinus, and the designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935. Planners once considered the area near the northwest rim for an early Apollo landing, where astronauts could inspect the crater interior and sample boulders of ejecta.