Copernicus (lunar crater)

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Copernicus ( Copernicus written ) is a large lunar crater of the type of ring mountains, which was named in 1935 by the International Astronomical Union after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus ( 1473-1543 ). It has a diameter of 90-95 km.

What is unusual about the impact crater that he has not one, but several central mountains, which are up to 1.2 km high. The crater rim is clearly terraced divided and little eroded because it represents one of the youngest Großimpakte on the moon. During the crater floor is about 3800 m deeper than the Wall combs, this tower over the surrounding plain, only about 900 meters. Such large differences in height levels are rare.

Also Copernicus - similar to the crater Tycho and Kepler - the starting point of a system of rays, which can be seen particularly well at full moon.

As part of the Apollo program, the mountain ring was a possible site for a manned lunar landing and came to the Mission Apollo 20 on the shortlist. This space flight was in 1970 but canceled due to financial reasons, before a decision was made.

The Copernican period of lunar time scale was named after this crater.