Porter is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southern part of the Moon, and lies across the northeastern rim of the huge walled plain Clavius. Although generally circular, the form of this crater has been modified by the geometry of the surface on which it was formed. The outer rim is generally lower to the southwest, where it lies on the floor of Clavius. Likewise the interior floor is flatter near this face. In contrast the northeastern floor is rougher and more uneven in the northeastern half.

Porter
Slightly oblique Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates56°06′S 10°06′W / 56.1°S 10.1°W / -56.1; -10.1
Diameter52 km
Depth2.3 km
Colongitude12° at sunrise
EponymRussell W. Porter
Porter is located in Moon
Porter
Porter
Location of Porter on the Moon

The crater is somewhat worn in appearance, in comparison with the younger and sharper-edged Rutherfurd to the south along the southeastern rim of Clavius. There is a double central peak located just to the southwest of the midpoint. A small craterlet lies along the northwestern inner wall of the crater, but the formation is not otherwise significantly marked by smaller impacts.

This crater was formerly designated Clavius B before being renamed by the IAU.

Satellite craters

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By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Porter.

Porter Latitude Longitude Diameter
B 54.4° S 8.6° W 12 km
C 54.8° S 10.3° W 12 km

References

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  • Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
  • Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  • Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
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  • McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  • Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
  • Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
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  • Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
  • Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
  • Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.