Le Gentil (crater) explained

Coordinates:-74.4°N -76.5°W
Diameter:113 km
Depth:Unknown
Colong:83
Eponym:Guillaume H. le Gentil

Le Gentil is a lunar impact crater that is located in the south-southwest part of the Moon, near the limb, and is nearly attached to the southern rim of the huge walled plain Bailly. To the southeast is the large crater Drygalski. Due to its location, this crater appears considerably foreshortened and is viewed from an oblique angle by observers on the Earth.

As a formation this crater has been deeply eroded by impacts, leaving a heavily worn formation that is little more than a depression in the surface. The rim exists as a circular, rolling ridge with indents and notches where small craters have gouged out the surface. The interior floor is covered in a multitude of tiny craterlets and two small craters: Le Gentil C and Le Gentil B. There is a smaller craterlet attached to the eastern rim of Le Gentil C.

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 Le Gentil.

Le GentilLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
A74.6° S52.4° W33 km
B75.0° S73.0° W16 km
C74.4° S75.1° W19 km
D74.6° S63.8° W12 km
G71.8° S58.8° W17 km

References

. Patrick Moore . 2001 . On the Moon . . 978-0-304-35469-6 .

. Antonín Rükl . 1990 . Atlas of the Moon . . 978-0-913135-17-4 .

. Thomas William Webb . 1962 . Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes . 6th revised . Dover . 978-0-486-20917-3 .

. Ewen Whitaker . 1999 . Mapping and Naming the Moon . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-62248-6 .