Pascal (crater)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crater characteristics
Coordinates 74.6° N, 70.3° W
Diameter 115 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude   77° at sunrise
Eponym Blaise Pascal

Pascal is a lunar crater that lies near the northern limb of the Moon, on the western side of the pole. It is located to the north of the eroded Desargues crater, and just east of the Brianchon crater. Pascal can be located by finding the Carpenter crater and then following the surface to the northwest toward the limb. However the visibility of this formation can be affected by libration.


Within the wide inner walls is a nearly level interior floor that has been resurfaced by lava. At the mid-point is a low ridge, forming a minor central peak. There are tiny craters at the north end of the floor, and at the northeast end of the central ridge. There is also a small chain of craterlets lying across the northeast inner wall.

Just to the north of Pascal is 'Poncelet C', a satellite crater of the lava-flooded Poncelet to the east. The rim of this crater is bisected by several grooves in the surface, one of which crosses the southeast rim and cuts across tangentially to the northeast rim of Pascal crater.

[edit] Satellite craters

|align="center"|15 km |}

[edit] References

  • See the reference table for the general listing of literature and web sites that were used in the compilation of this page.