A lava-darkened crater near the lunar limb

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

crater

Coordinates

53.61° N · 56.48° E

Diameter

122.1 km

IAU approval

1935/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-14 · Endymion

Geological Period

Nectarian

Geological Chronicle

Endymion lies near the Moon’s northeast limb, where visibility is subject to libration. Its oval appearance from foreshortening comes from its position. Mare Frigoris is to the east and Lacus Temporis to the north; Mare Humboldtianum lies beyond the crater along the limb.

Low-albedo lava covers the floor, giving it a dark appearance and making the crater relatively easy to locate. The floor is relatively smooth, with only a few craterlets inside the rim. A string of three lies near the northwestern inner wall.

A wrinkle ridge crosses the floor. Near the center, a low, eroded hill may be the summit of a central peak that is now almost completely submerged by lava. Faint streaks of ray material from Thales to the north-northwest cross the dark floor, and the outer rampart is low, wide, and worn from impact erosion.

Endymion is one of the largest craters of Nectarian age. Its name comes from a Greek mythological character, and the IAU formally recognized it in 1935.

Chronology & Exploration

1. Nectarian Crater of Nectarian age

   Endymion is one of the largest craters of Nectarian age.

2. Undated Described as dark at full Moon

   T. W. Webb described Endymion as sometimes very dark at full Moon.

3. 1935 Name formally recognized

   The IAU formally recognized the name Endymion.

Scientific Sources & References

• IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature: Endymion — Registry metadata supplies the name, coordinates, diameter, and mythological origin.
• English Wikipedia: Endymion (crater) — Frozen localized source text for the crater’s setting, floor, surface features, age, and naming date.

Name Origin

Greek mythological character.