Monday, June 17, 2024

Crater Kepler (evening)

Overshadowed by its large neighbor Copernicus to its east, the small, 32 km wide crater Kepler is visible with unaided eyes and optical aids when the moon is more than 11 days past new. It is surrounded by an extensive halo of rays that stand out against the dark basalt of Oceanus Procellarum. Under magnification, Kepler exhibits a high, sharp rim that is somewhat polygonal. Its inner ramparts have slumped into terraces, roughing and shallowing its bottom, but leaving some of its central peak exposed as a minor hills. Kepler was formed recently, during the same era as Copernicus and Tycho.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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