Geological Chronicle
Positioned on the lunar far side a few hundred kilometers south of the north pole, Plaskett is an impact crater measuring 114.34 kilometers across. Because of its location at 81.63 degrees north latitude, the sunlight it receives arrives at a low angle. The large walled plain Rozhdestvenskiy is attached to Plaskett's northeast rim, between the crater and the pole, while the overlapping crater pair of Milankovic and Ricco lies to the south, and the satellite crater Plaskett U is attached to the northwest rim.
The outer rim of Plaskett forms a somewhat polygonal outline produced by outward bulges in its perimeter. Terracing marks the inner wall along its southern edge, while the remainder is rougher and less finely featured. At the midpoint of the relatively flat floor rises a central peak formed of a double-mount, where infrared spectra reveal the presence of pure crystalline plagioclase.
Because of its isolation and location near the lunar limb, Plaskett has been suggested as an ideal site for a future lunar base, where operations could simulate a mission to Mars. The feature is named for Canadian astronomer John Stanley Plaskett.