Franklin (crater)
Encyclopedia
Franklin is a lunar
impact crater
that is located in the northeast part of the visible Moon
; it is named after Benjamin Franklin
. To the north-northwest is the smaller crater Cepheus
, and in the opposite direction to the southwest is the shallow Berzelius
.
The rim of Franklin is generally circular, with a pair of outward bulges in the western wall. The inner wall is terraced, and there is a central peak at the mid-point of the floor. A narrow cleft runs to the west-southwest across the floor, passing to the north of the central peak.
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...
impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
that is located in the northeast part of the visible 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...
; it is named after Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
. To the north-northwest is the smaller crater Cepheus
Cepheus (crater)
Cepheus is a lunar impact crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon, within one crater diameter of the larger crater Franklin to the southeast. To the north-north-east is the flooded crater Oersted...
, and in the opposite direction to the southwest is the shallow Berzelius
Berzelius (crater)
Berzelius is a lunar crater located in the northeast part of the Moon's near side. It lies to the southeast of the crater Franklin, and to the northwest of Geminus....
.
The rim of Franklin is generally circular, with a pair of outward bulges in the western wall. The inner wall is terraced, and there is a central peak at the mid-point of the floor. A narrow cleft runs to the west-southwest across the floor, passing to the north of the central peak.
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 Franklin.| Franklin | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 35.7° N | 44.3° E | 15 km |
| F | 37.5° N | 47.7° E | 38 km |
| G | 40.1° N | 48.1° E | 7 km |
| H | 37.1° N | 43.7° E | 6 km |
| K | 39.1° N | 51.4° E | 20 km |
| W | 37.8° N | 43.7° E | 6 km |