Meitner (lunar crater)


Meitner is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon, behind the eastern limb. It lies to the northwest of the crater Kondratyuk, and about a crater diameter to the west of Langemak.
This crater has relatively well-defined features that have not been significantly eroded by subsequent impacts. The rim edge is roughly circular, with a slight outward bulge along the southern edge. The small satellite crater Meitner C lies across the rim and inner wall to the northeast. Sections of the inner wall display features. The interior floor of Meitner is relatively level, with a small craterlet just to the southwest of the midpoint and another along the northwest inner wall.
Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit the moon, happened to fly directly over Meitner and obtained high-resolution photographs of the interior.
Prior to formal naming by the IAU in 1970, Meitner was called Crater 276.

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 Meitner.
MeitnerLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A8.1° S113.5° E17 km
C9.7° S113.7° E19 km
H11.9° S116.0° E13 km
J12.1° S115.1° E15 km
R12.0° S109.4° E16 km