Little remains of H. G. Wells’s original rim

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

crater

Coordinates

40.84° N · 122.63° E

Diameter

108.9 km

IAU approval

1970/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-30 · Millikan

Geological Chronicle

H. G. Wells lies on the Moon’s far side, behind the northeastern limb. Millikan is north, Cantor southwest, and the smaller Tesla southeast. The crater is named after author H. G. Wells, whose works include the 1901 novel The First Men in the Moon. The registry identifies him as Herbert George Wells, a British scientific writer (1866–1946).

The outer rim is so battered that little or nothing remains of its original form. Smaller craters have eroded and incised it, leaving a ring of irregular peaks and worn crater valleys. This rugged ground reaches only partway into the interior; the rest of the floor is relatively level, gently rolling in places, and marked by tiny craters.

Before its formal naming, the feature was called Crater 48. The IAU formally named it H. G. Wells in 1970.

Chronology & Exploration

1. Before 1970 Called Crater 48

   Before its formal naming by the IAU, H. G. Wells was called Crater 48.

2. Undated Original rim eroded

   Erosion and incisions from smaller craters left little or nothing of the original rim.

3. 1970 IAU formalizes the name

   The IAU formally named the crater H. G. Wells.

Scientific Sources & References

• IAU Gazetteer — Registry reference for identity, coordinates, diameter and name origin.
• Wikipedia: H. G. Wells (crater) — Local source for the crater’s setting, morphology and naming history.

Name Origin

Herbert George; British scientific writer (1866-1946).