 LRO WAC image | |
| Coordinates | 36°12′S 126°00′W / 36.2°S 126.0°W / -36.2; -126.0 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 119.60 km (74.32 mi)1 |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Colongitude | 127° at sunrise |
| Formation | Nectarian or Pre-Nectarian2 |
| Eponym | Dirk Brouwer Luitzen E. J. Brouwer |
Brouwer is a large lunar impact crater that is located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon.2 Intruding into the western rim of Brouwer is the younger and somewhat smaller crater Langmuir. Further to the east-southeast is the larger walled plain Blackett.3
This formation dates to the Nectarian or possibly Pre-Nectarian period of the lunar geologic timescale.2 It is an old crater with a rim that has been heavily worn due to subsequent impacts. Parts of the rim to the east and north can still be traced in the irregular terrain, but the southern rim is almost completely disintegrated.
The interior floor is rough in the southeastern half, and somewhat more level and less rough to the northwest. Lying just to the southeast of the crater midpoint is the satellite crater Brouwer H. If the floor once possessed a central peak, it may have been overlaid by this last-mentioned formation.4: 122
This crater is named after American astronomer Dirk Brouwer (1902–1966) and Dutch mathematician Luitzen E. J. Brouwer (1881–1968).5 Its designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1970.1
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Brouwer.6
| Brouwer4: 294 | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 33.4° S | 122.1° W | 26 km |
| H | 35.9° S | 124.4° W | 19 km |
| P | 38.6° S | 126.5° W | 29 km |
References
References
- "Brouwer". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- Byrne, Charles J. (2008). The Far Side of the Moon. Springer. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-4899-8806-5.
- "LAC 122" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
- Menzel, D. H.; et al. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
- Grego, P. (2015). "Satellite Crater". In Hargitai, H.; Kereszturi, Á. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_328.
Sources
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.