Kepler (lunar crater)

E76579

Kepler (lunar crater) is a prominent, relatively young impact crater on the Moon’s near side, noted for its bright ray system and association with the astronomer Johannes Kepler.


Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf lunar impact crater
belongsTo Copernican System of lunar stratigraphy
bestSeenAt low to moderate telescopic magnification
catalogDesignation Kepler
classification rayed crater
colongitude 38 degrees
depth 2.6 kilometers
diameter 31 kilometers
ejectaDistribution radial
eponym Johannes Kepler
floorAlbedo lower than rays
floorCharacteristic relatively flat
hasAsymmetryCause impact angle and local topography
hasCentralPeak yes
hasMorphologicalType Eratosthenian or Copernican age crater
hasRaySystem yes
hasSatelliteCraters yes
hasTerracedWalls yes
IAUNameApproval 1935
imagedBy Apollo program
surface form: Apollo missions

Lunar Orbiter spacecraft
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
isProminentFeatureIn western near side of the Moon
locatedIn Mare Cognitum region, Oceanus Procellarum
surface form: Oceanus Procellarum region
locatedInMare border region of Oceanus Procellarum
locatedOn Moon
near side of the Moon
namedAfter Johannes Kepler
nearbyFeature Copernicus Crater on the Moon
surface form: Copernicus (lunar crater)

Encke (lunar crater)
Mare Cognitum region, Oceanus Procellarum
surface form: Oceanus Procellarum
observedBy Earth-based telescopes
partOf lunar nearside crater catalogues
rayAlbedo high
rayExtent over 300 kilometers
rayPattern asymmetric
raySystemAge Copernican
raySystemAppearance bright
relativeAge young
rimCondition sharp-edged
rimElevation higher than surrounding mare
satelliteCraterNamingConvention letters placed on side of satellite crater midpoint closest to Kepler
scientificInterest study of young lunar impact processes
selenographicLatitude 8.1° N
selenographicLongitude 38.0° W
surfaceFeatureType impact structure
surfaceMaterial high-albedo ejecta
visibleFromEarth yes

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Johannes Kepler hasCraterNamedAfter Kepler (lunar crater)
Kepler (Martian crater) isDifferentFrom Kepler (lunar crater)