Stetson (crater)
Encyclopedia
Stetson is the remains of a crater
on the far side of the Moon
. The northeastern part of the rim of Stetson has been overlain by the larger crater Blackett
. Lying across the eastern rim is a double-crater formation consisting of the satellites Stetson E and Stetson G. There are also small craters along the southeast and northwestern rims.
Only the portion of the rim from the west-northwest counter-clockwise to the south is still relatively intact. The surviving rim and the remaining interior floor are relatively indistinct, possibly due to deposits of ejecta from the Mare Orientale
impact basin to the northeast. Radial streaks of ejecta and secondary craters cover the terrain that surrounds Stetson and Blackett.
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...
. The northeastern part of the rim of Stetson has been overlain by the larger crater Blackett
Blackett (crater)
Blackett is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, behind the southwest limb. It lies beyond the southeast outer ring of the immense Mare Orientale basin. The formation of that major feature has left Blackett deeply marked with groove-like features running from the northwest...
. Lying across the eastern rim is a double-crater formation consisting of the satellites Stetson E and Stetson G. There are also small craters along the southeast and northwestern rims.
Only the portion of the rim from the west-northwest counter-clockwise to the south is still relatively intact. The surviving rim and the remaining interior floor are relatively indistinct, possibly due to deposits of ejecta from the Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale is one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bull's-eye. Located on the extreme western edge of the lunar nearside, this impact basin is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective.Material from this basin was not sampled by the Apollo program...
impact basin to the northeast. Radial streaks of ejecta and secondary craters cover the terrain that surrounds Stetson and Blackett.
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 Stetson.| Stetson | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 39.4° S | 117.0° W | 38 km |
| G | 39.9° S | 117.2° W | 23 km |
| N | 43.2° S | 120.2° W | 18 km |
| P | 41.8° S | 119.8° W | 24 km |