Geological Chronicle
Menelaus lies on the southern shore of Mare Serenitatis near the eastern end of the Montes Haemus range. Spanning 27.13 kilometers in diameter, the young impact crater features a high, sharp rim with a slightly irregular outline and terraced inner walls. Its interior has a high albedo that is prominent under high sun angles, and several ridges cross the floor. The small crater Auwers lies to the southwest, the smaller Daubrée sits to the west-southwest, and the faint rille system Rimae Menelaus extends to the northeast.
The infrared spectrum of pure crystalline plagioclase has been identified along the east and northeast walls of Menelaus. The crater possesses a moderate ray system, with its most prominent ray aligned to the north-northeast across Mare Serenitatis. The location of this ray and a slightly off-center central peak suggest that the impact occurred at a relatively low angle.
Named for the ancient Greek astronomer and geometer Menelaus of Alexandria, the crater received its modern designation from Giovanni Riccioli in 1651. Earlier lunar cartographers had assigned different names to the formation: Michael van Langren labeled it "Mariae Imp. Rom." on his 1645 map for Holy Roman Empress Maria Anna, while Johannes Hevelius designated it "Byzantium (urbs)" after the city of Byzantium.