Clavius (crater)

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Clavius ​​is a large impact crater in the southern highlands on the near side of the moon. He was named after the German - Italian mathematician and astronomer Christopher Clavius ​​Jesuit ( 1537/1538-1612 ).

The crater has a diameter of about 225 km. Inside there is a large number of craters of various sizes, of which are suitable for smaller test the resolving power of amateur telescopes. What is striking is the semi-circular arrangement (48 x 54 km) starts from the crater Rutherfurd on the southern rim of Clavius ​​and continues from there with the ever-smaller craters Clavius ​​D, C, N, J, and YES. In the northeast Clavius ​​' crater wall is interrupted by the 52 km wide crater Porter.

Clavius ​​in novel and film

In the science fiction novel and film 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke is in the crater Clavius ​​the lunar station of the same name. From there began the expedition that unearthed the monolith in the crater Tycho.