 | |
| Coordinates | 87°58′N 109°41′W / 87.96°N 109.69°W / 87.96; -109.69 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 16.74 km (10.40 mi)[1] |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Colongitude | 110° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Franz Maria Ulrich Theodor Aepinus |
Aepinus is a small lunar impact crater located along the northern lunar limb, close to the north pole of the Moon. To the south east is the prominent crater Hermite.[2] On average, the rim of this crater receives illumination from the Sun 86.08% of the time, the highest on the Moon. This could make it a useful location for a moonbase.[3]
This crater was unnamed until it was given a name along with 18 other craters by the IAU on January 22, 2009. It was named after the German-Russian astronomer Franz Aepinus (c. 1724 – c. 1802).[1]
References
- "Aepinus". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- "LAC 1" (PDF). Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
- Maiwald, Volker (2013). Being Selene's guest: analysis of the lunar environment and its impact on base location selection (PDF). 64th International Astronautical Congress, Beijing, China. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
External links
Media related to Aepinus (crater) at Wikimedia Commons- "Aepinus". the-moon.us.
