Geological Chronicle
Pierazzo is a small impact formation situated on the lunar far side within the north-northwestern expanse of ejecta surrounding Mare Orientale. The crater measures 9.29 kilometers across and lies north of the Montes Cordillera mountain ring, with the older crater Lents positioned to the west.
Despite its modest size, the impact excavated a broad, wispy ray system reaching more than 100 kilometers in all directions across the surrounding terrain. Within the ejecta blanket, multiple lobate impact melt flows extend to over 40 kilometers from the crater center, standing out as noticeably dark surfaces against the brighter terrain.
The International Astronomical Union formally approved the crater name in 2015 in memory of Italian planetary scientist Elisabetta Pierazzo, who specialized in the physics of impact cratering and impact melt generation. The crater and its distinctive ray pattern were later observed directly by astronauts during the Artemis II mission in April 2026.