Becquerel (lunar crater)


Becquerel is a lunar impact crater that lies in the northern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. This is an ancient and heavily worn formation that is now little more than an irregular buri in the surface. The outer rim has been worn and reshaped until it forms a rugged, mountainous region around the flatter interior.
The most notable of the formations on the rim is Becquerel X, which is part of a double crater along the northwestern rim. There is a short valley paralleling the southwestern rim, most likely formed by the merging of several small craters. The interior floor of Becquerel is relatively flat, but with rough sections and several tiny craterlets marking the surface. There is a dark patch on the floor near the southern rim.
To the west of Becquerel are H. G. Wells and Tesla, to the north is Segers, to the northeast is Bridgman, and to the south is Van Maanen.
The crater's name was adopted by the IAU in 1970.

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Becquerel.
BecquerelLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
E41.0° N131.5° E32 km
F40.9° N132.9° E21 km
W42.2° N126.9° E27 km
X42.2° N128.1° E34 km