Lexell (crater)


Lexell is a lunar impact crater that lies across the southeastern rim of the huge walled plain Deslandres, in the southern part of the Moon. It was named after Swedish-Russian mathematician and astronomer Anders Johan Lexell. To the northeast is the walled plain Walther, and to the south is Orontius, another walled plain.
This is a somewhat irregular formation with a wide break in the northern rim. The western rim forms a low, arcing wall, and is overlain to the southwest by Lexell H after passing the rim of Deslandres. The rim peaks along the southeast, then comes to an end at a rugged promontory-like ridge. The interior floor has been resurfaced by lava to the northwest and in sections of the remainder of the floor. There are some low rises and ghost-crater rims in the southeast half part of the interior floor.

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Lexell.
LexellLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A36.9° S1.4° W34 km
B37.3° S3.4° W23 km
D36.1° S0.7° W20 km
E37.2° S0.4° W16 km
F36.5° S5.4° W8 km
G37.2° S4.9° W10 km
H36.5° S4.9° W10 km
K35.9° S6.4° W10 km
L36.0° S6.0° W8 km