Condorcet (crater)

Condorcet is a lunar impact crater that is located in the eastern part of the Moon's near side, to the southeast of the Mare Crisium. It was named after French mathematician Marquis de Condorcet.[1] To the northeast of Condorcet are the craters Hansen and Alhazen.

Condorcet

Apollo 17 mapping camera image
Coordinates	12.1°N 69.58°E
Diameter	75 km
Depth	2.7 km
Colongitude	292° at sunrise
Eponym	Marquis de Condorcet

The outer rim of Condorcet is eroded, with a low saddle point along the northern wall and the satellite crater Condorcet Y lies across the northwestern rim. The interior floor has been resurfaced, leaving a level, nearly featureless surface that is marked only by a few tiny craterlets. The floor has a large dark patch in the western half, but the remainder is approximately the same albedo as the surrounding terrain.

Satellite craters

Condorcet crater and its satellite craters taken from Earth in 2012 at the University of Hertfordshire's Bayfordbury Observatory with the telescopes Meade LX200 14" and Lumenera Skynyx 2-1

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Condorcet.

Oblique view from Apollo 11 facing northwest from about 40 km altitude, with Promontorium Agarum at left and Mare Crisium in background

Apollo 11 view of five satellite craters of Condorcet. The large crater in the foreground is F, N is small and left of center, L is above center, Q is a large eroded crater in upper left, and R is a smaller crater above right of L.

Satellite crater Condorcet D (photo by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter).

Condorcet	Coordinates	Diameter, km
A	11.51°N 67.29°E	15.4
D	9.84°N 68.35°E	19.8
E	11.35°N 68.16°E	8.0
F	8.27°N 73.09°E	39.7
G	10.65°N 67.97°E	10.3
H	12.45°N 65.08°E	21.0
J	13.07°N 65.2°E	16.3
L	10.15°N 73.67°E	12.6
M	9.07°N 73.12°E	10.5
N	8.98°N 72.61°E	5.0
P	8.76°N 70.29°E	48.4
Q	11.23°N 73.36°E	35.8
R	11.75°N 74.75°E	19.9
S	10.67°N 75.64°E	10.2
T	11.8°N 65.84°E	14.7
TA	12.16°N 65.72°E	14.6
U	10.08°N 75.4°E	11.0
W	13.94°N 67°E	35.8
X	10.12°N 69.95°E	8.9
Y	12.86°N 68.92°E	14.2

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

• Condorcet K — See Wildt (crater).

References

1. "Condorcet (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.

• Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (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.
• Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

• LTO-62B2 Condorcet — L&PI topographic map
• LTO-63A4 Condorcet Se — L&PI topographic map