A Crater Named Spook, Where Apollo 16 Paused on Its Way Back

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

landing

Coordinates

8.98° S · 15.48° E

Diameter

0.34 km

Depth

0.02 km

IAU approval

1973/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-78 · Theophilus

Geological Period

Imbrian

Geological Chronicle

Spook crater sits in the Descartes Highlands on the near side of the Moon. 340 meters across and more than 20 meters deep. The Lunar Module Orion touched down on April 21, 1972, about 500 meters east of Spook, placing it between the larger North Ray and South Ray craters.

Astronauts John Young and Charles Duke visited Spook during EVA 1, stopping there on the traverse back from Flag crater to the lunar module. Geology Station 2 is adjacent to Spook, between it and Buster — a smaller, younger crater immediately to the north. a magnetic field reading of approximately 180 gamma — one of five such measurements taken across the landing area.

The crater cuts into the Cayley Formation of Imbrian age. formally adopted by the IAU in 1973.

Chronology & Exploration

1. 1972 Apollo 16 EVA 1 visit

   John Young and Charles Duke stopped at Spook crater during EVA 1 on April 21, 1972, recording a Lunar Portable Magnetometer reading of approximately 180 gamma.

2. 1973 IAU name adoption

   The International Astronomical Union formally adopted the name Spook for the crater, recognizing the informal designation given by the Apollo 16 crew.

Scientific Sources & References

• IAU Planetary Nomenclature — Official IAU feature record for Spook crater.
• Wikipedia: Spook (crater) — English Wikipedia article, revision 1333192776, fetched 2026-09-14.

Name Origin

Astronaut-named feature, Apollo 16 site.