Terraces line Fizeau’s northern inner wall

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

crater

Coordinates

58.19° S · 134.11° W

Diameter

107.08 km

IAU approval

1970/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-134 · Fizeau

Geological Period

Upper Imbrian

Geological Chronicle

Fizeau is a prominent crater on the Moon’s far side, in the southern hemisphere. It dates to the Upper Imbrian period. Minkowski lies to the west-northwest and Eijkman to the southwest.

The crater’s northern inner wall is multiply terraced. A shear inner surface on the southern rim leads down to slumped deposits on the floor. A small but prominent crater crosses the southwest rim, with terraced steps covering most of its interior; smaller craterlets mark the northeast and west-southwest rim.

Beyond the terraces, the floor is relatively flat, with a few low rises in the northwest and a central peak near the midpoint. The peak’s spectra fit a gabbroic norite mineralogy, which originated from a depth of 11.1 to 18.0 km. Only a few tiny craterlets lie on the floor.

Fizeau takes its name from Armand-Hippolyte-Louis Fizeau, a French physicist.

Chronology & Exploration

1. Upper Imbrian Formation period

   Fizeau dates to the Upper Imbrian period of the lunar geologic timescale.

2. Undated Central-peak spectra described

   The central peak’s spectra fit a gabbroic norite mineralogy, which originated from a depth of 11.1 to 18.0 km.

3. Undated Rim structures described

   The north half of the inner wall is terraced, while a shear inner surface along the southern rim leads to slumped floor deposits.

Scientific Sources & References

• International Astronomical Union Gazetteer — Registry record for the crater’s identity, coordinates, diameter and name origin.
• Wikipedia: Fizeau (crater) — Local source for the crater’s setting, morphology, period and peak spectra.

Name Origin

Armand-Hippolyte-Louis; French physicist (1819-1896).