Lorentz (crater)

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Crater characteristics
Coordinates	32.6° N, 95.3° W
Diameter	312 km
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	103° at sunrise
Eponym	Hendrik Lorentz

Lorentz is a huge lunar crater that lies just beyond the northwest limb of the Moon, in a region that is brought into sight of the Earth during favorable librations. This formation is nearly as large as the Mare Nectaris on the near side of the Moon, although it has not been submerged by lava as have the lunar mare. Sections of the crater floor are, however, relatively level, particularly an arc along the western rim. But this last region is still marked by a number of tiny craterlets. The remainder of the interior is rough and irregular, and marked with a multitude of impacts.

The basin of the Lorentz crater contains a prominent crater pairing, with Nernst crater located just to the north of Lorentz's mid-point, and Röntgen crater attached to the southeast rim of Nernst. Laying across the southern rim of Lorentz is Laue crater, and Avicenna crater lies across the northwest rim. Near the more indeterminate eastern rim of Lorentz is Aston crater.

[edit] Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Lorentz crater.