Stearns (crater)
Encyclopedia
Stearns is a lunar
impact crater
on the far side of the Moon
. Unlike many lunar craters, this is a relatively fresh and well-defined impact feature with little appearance of erosion. The rim edge is sharp and roughly circular, with some unevenness. The inner walls are simple slopes down to piles of talus
along the base. At the mid-point of the somewhat uneven interior floor is a central peak.
This crater is located about mid-way between Appleton
to the northwest and Nušl
to the southeast. Just over one crater diameter to the south-southwest of Stearns is the smaller crater Steno
.
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...
on the far side 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...
. Unlike many lunar craters, this is a relatively fresh and well-defined impact feature with little appearance of erosion. The rim edge is sharp and roughly circular, with some unevenness. The inner walls are simple slopes down to piles of talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
along the base. At the mid-point of the somewhat uneven interior floor is a central peak.
This crater is located about mid-way between Appleton
Appleton (crater)
Appleton is a heavily eroded lunar crater that lies in the northern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. To the northwest are the craters Von Neumann and Campbel. The smaller Golovin lies to the northeast, while further to the southwest is the Mare Moscoviense.The crater wall and interior have...
to the northwest and Nušl
Nušl (crater)
Nušl is an impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies just to the north of the crater Trumpler, and to the west of Shayn....
to the southeast. Just over one crater diameter to the south-southwest of Stearns is the smaller crater Steno
Steno (lunar crater)
Steno is a relatively small lunar impact crater that is located in the northern hemisphere on the Moon's far side. It lies to the south-southwest of the slightly larger crater Stearns, a much younger and less worn formation...
.