Hertz is a
lunar impact crater
An impact crater is a depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical body formed by the hypervelocity impact event, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal c ...
that lies on the
far side of the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
, just behind the eastern limb. Due to
libration
In lunar astronomy, libration is the cyclic variation in the apparent position of the Moon that is perceived by observers on the Earth and caused by changes between the orbital and rotational planes of the moon. It causes an observer to see ...
this feature can sometimes be observed from the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
under favorable lighting conditions. It is located to the west-southwest of the larger crater
Fleming and north-northeast of the smaller
Moiseev. Moiseev is joined to Hertz by the satellite crater Moiseev Z, and the three form a short crater chain.
This is a somewhat worn crater formation with a wide inner wall. There is a pear-shaped crater along the northern inner wall. The interior floor is relatively featureless, with only a small ridge offset to the southwest of the midpoint.
The crater was named after the German physicist
Heinrich Rudolf Hertz
Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (; ; 22 February 1857 – 1 January 1894) was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves predicted by James Clerk Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism.
Biography
Heinric ...
in 1961. Prior to that, this crater was known as ''Crater 200''.
Lunar Farside Chart (LFC-1A)
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References
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External links
{{Commonscat
Hertz at The Moon Wiki
Impact craters on the Moon