Encke (crater)
Lunar impact crater / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Encke is a lunar impact crater that is located on the western edge of the Mare Insularum, to the south-southeast of the crater Kepler. The small crater Kunowsky lies to the east-southeast on the mare.
Quick Facts Coordinates, Diameter ...
Coordinates | 4.6°N 36.6°W / 4.6; -36.6 |
---|---|
Diameter | 28 km |
Depth | 0.8 km |
Colongitude | 37° at sunrise |
Eponym | Johann F. Encke |
Close
The crater is named after German mathematician and astronomer Johann Franz Encke.[1]
The rim of Encke is low and somewhat polygonal in shape. The tiny craterlet Encke N lies across the western rim. The floor is somewhat uneven, and is covered in ray material from the nearby Kepler. The high albedo of this ejecta makes Encke a bright feature when the Sun is at a high elevation over the lunar surface.