Craterra

A lunar walled plain

Rimae Darwin crosses the eastern rim

Near the Moon’s limb, Darwin appears foreshortened. Its worn rim surrounds a floor crossed by rilles that extend about 280 kilometers.

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type
crater
Coordinates
19.93° S · 69.21° W
Diameter
122.18 km
IAU approval
1935/01/01 00:00:00
LAC quadrangle
LAC-92 · Byrgius

Geological Chronicle

Darwin is a complex lunar impact crater classified as a walled plain in the Moon’s southeastern part. From Earth, it appears significantly foreshortened because it lies close to the limb. The northern and southern parts of its outer rim are all but destroyed, while the eastern rim is worn but intact. all but destroyed

Parts of the floor have been resurfaced. The southern floor is only roughly level, and a dune-like set of hills lies in the northeast. The source describes those hills as decelerated surface-flow ejecta from the Orientale basin impact, which struck the eastern rim. In the west, a low, somewhat irregular dome is one of the few lunar domes outside a mare and the largest on the Moon’s near side. the largest lunar dome on the Moon’s near side

A system of rilles cuts across Darwin’s northern floor, crosses the eastern rim and continues southeast. Called the Rimae Darwin, it stretches about 280 kilometers and is 1–2 kilometers wide. East of Darwin, it crosses Rima Sirsalis, which runs northeast. about 280 kilometers

Chronology & Exploration

  1. Undated Orientale basin impact

    The impact struck Darwin’s eastern rim. Dune-like hills in the northeast part of the floor are described as its decelerated surface-flow ejecta.

  2. 19th century Name enters lunar nomenclature

    German astronomer Johann F. J. Schmidt included Darwin in lunar nomenclature.

  3. 1935 IAU adopts the designation

    The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the crater’s name.

Scientific Sources & References

Name Origin

Charles; British natural scientist (1809-1882).

Interactive Lunar Surface

Explore Darwin in 3D

Inspect lunar elevation data and the official selenographic position.