Peirce (crater)
Template:Short description Template:Infobox Lunar crater
Peirce is a small lunar impact crater in the western part of Mare Crisium. That dark, circular lunar mare is located in the east-northeasterly part of the Moon's near side. It was named after the American mathematician Benjamin Peirce.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Peirce lies to the north of the craters Yerkes and Picard, and southeast of Macrobius located outside the mare. Just over a crater diameter to the north of Peirce is the smaller Swift. To the northwest is the wrinkle ridge Dorsum Oppel.
The rim of Peirce is roughly circular, with a slight outward bulge along the northwestern rim. There are indications of slumping along the sides of this section, producing a wider inner wall. It is generally bowl-shaped, and is marked only by a tiny craterlet along the inner southeast rim. The interior is marked by several furrows, ridges, as well as a low, conical hill near the midpoint.
Peirce is a crater of Eratosthenian age.<ref>The geologic history of the Moon. USGS Professional Paper 1348. By Don E. Wilhelms, John F. McCauley, and Newell J. Trask. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington: 1987. Table 12.2.</ref>
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 Peirce.
| Peirce | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 18.8° N | 49.9° E | 19 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.
- Peirce B — See Swift (lunar crater).
References
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External links
- LTO-44D4 Peirce — L&PI topographic map
- Peirce Crater: Apollo 17 vs. Lunar Orbiter 4 (accessed 10/04/05.)