Chrétien (crater)

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Crater characteristics
Coordinates 45.9° S, 162.9° E
Diameter 88 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 198° at sunrise
Eponym Henri Chrétien

Chrétien is a lunar crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon from the Earth. It lies due south of the Mare Ingenii, one of the few lunar mares on the far side. The crater lies in the mid-point between the Garavito crater to the west-southwest and Oresme crater to the east-northeast, with both these craters being somewhat smaller than Chrétien.

The most notable feature of this crater is the low albedo interior floor, which has the same darker hue as the Mare Ingenii to the north. The irregular satellite crater 'Chrétien C', which shares the straight and narrow northeastern rim of Chrétien, is also covered with this dark basaltic-lava. The outer rim of Chrétien is irregular in shape, with several other satellite craters intruding into the sides. The most notable of these are 'Chrétien S' across the southwest rim, and 'Chrétien W' attached to the northwest rim.

The northern rim of Chrétien has a break that joins a small, irregular plain. This area has been resurfaced by the same lava flows that covered the interior of Chrétien. At the southern end, the inner wall forms a wide, irregular surface while the damaged rim bulges outward to the south.

[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 Chrétien crater.

Chrétien Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 43.9° S 163.6° E 13 km
C 44.5° S 165.3° E 63 km
S 46.5° S 160.5° E 40 km
W 44.3° S 160.8° E 34 km

[edit] References

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