Maclear (crater)

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Maclear is a lavagefüllter lunar crater in the northwestern part of the Sea of ​​Tranquility, a Mare, on the eastern half of the lunar front side. The crater is located southeast of the Ross Crater and southwest of the crater Sosigenes. At some distance to the south- south-east you can see the crater Arago. The satellite crater Maclear A is around 70 km away.

Since Maclear is almost entirely covered by the residues basaltic lava, one sees only a narrow rim which protrudes from the surface of the surrounding Mare. This edge is not perfectly circular, but has a slight outward bulge on its western side. On the other hand, it is eroded relatively uniform and not excessive in its width.

The crater forms the southern end of a lunar groove, which in turn belongs to a system of grooves along the west side of the Sea of ​​Tranquility. The system of grooves in the north is known as Rimae Maclear, while the grooves are referred to in the south- southwest as Rimae Sosigenes. The Rimae Maclear extend over a distance of about 100 kilometers and reach in the north of the crater Al- Bakri on the edge of Mare.

It is named after Sir Thomas Maclear, in whose honor in 1961, the designation by the International Astronomical Union ( IAU ) was performed.