Dechen (crater)
Encyclopedia
Dechen is a small, bowl-shaped crater that is located in the northwest part of the Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Earth's Moon. Its name derives from the old superstition that its appearance during the second quarter heralded bad weather...

, near the northwest limb of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...

. The rim of the crater projects slightly above the surrounding lunar mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...

, and the interior is symmetrical and nearly featureless. It lies to the northeast of the crater Harding
Harding (crater)
Harding is a small lunar impact crater that lies in the Sinus Roris, a bay in the northwest part of the Oceanus Procellarum. Because of its location near the northwest limb of the Moon's near side, this crater is viewed at a relatively low angle from the Earth resulting in foreshortening and...

, but is otherwise relatively isolated.

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 Dechen.
Dechen Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 46.0° N 65.7° W 5 km
B 44.2° N 64.3° W 6 km
C 45.9° N 69.9° W 6 km
D 46.2° N 60.5° W 5 km
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