Geological Chronicle
Curie lies along the Moon’s western rim and extends onto the far side. Seen from Earth, it can only be viewed from the side, with visibility depending on libration. It crosses the northern edge of the proposed Australe megabasin. Schorr lies northwest and Sklodowska northeast; the heavily damaged walled plain Lauritsen is attached to the southeastern rim. Both Sklodowska and Lauritsen are smaller than Curie.
Curie dates to the Pre-Nectarian period. Nearby impacts have damaged and reshaped its rim, whose relatively linear sides give the crater a box-like shape. Curie C partly covers the eastern rim to the northeast, while Curie G lies along the east. Curie Z overlies the northern end of the rim. Other small craters lie along the rim, especially in the southwest.
The floor is a relatively level plain, at least in comparison with the surrounding terrain, though small impacts disrupt it in several places. A cluster of small impacts lies near the southwestern rim, with several craters overlapping. Curie K lies in the southeastern part of the floor, and Curie V alongside the northwestern inner wall.
Curie is named for French physicist and chemist Pierre Curie. The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the crater’s designation in 1970.