Appleton is a heavily eroded
lunar impact crater
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...
that lies in the northern
hemisphere on the
far side of the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width ...
. To the northwest are the craters
Von Neumann and
Campbel. The smaller
Golovin lies to the northeast, while further to the southwest is the
Mare Moscoviense.
The crater wall and interior have been heavily eroded by many subsequent impacts, leaving the features rounded and irregular. A pair of craters lie across the southwestern rim, and two small craterlets lie along the eastern rim. The interior floor is irregular and contains many tiny craterlets.
Appleton lies between a pair of satellite craters that are located on opposite sides of the rim, forming a triple formation. Appleton R is located just to the west-southwest, and contains another crater just inside its north rim. On the opposite side of Appleton is Appleton D, a comparably sized formation to Appleton R.
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 Appleton.
References
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External links
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{{Craters on the Moon: A–B
Impact craters on the Moon