Geological Chronicle
Earthlight is a small, subdued crater measuring 0.21 kilometers in diameter located within the Hadley-Apennine region of the Moon. Situated roughly 1.5 kilometers east of Hadley Rille and less than 1 kilometer north of Dune crater, the feature sits approximately 2 kilometers south of the Apollo 15 landing site near Last crater.
During the Apollo 15 mission's second extravehicular activity in 1971, astronauts David Scott and James Irwin drove past the feature on their Lunar Roving Vehicle while heading toward Mons Hadley Delta. Because the crater is subdued and not obvious on the surface, the crew did not stop to observe it, though Irwin noted observing blocks along its southern slope while driving.
The crater's designation originated with the astronauts, who named it after Arthur C. Clarke's 1955 science fiction novel *Earthlight*, set in Mare Imbrium. Following the mission, the Apollo 15 crew presented Clarke with a signed three-dimensional map of the landing site. The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the name in 1973.