Chapman is a

lunar Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon". Lunar may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games * "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta * "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...

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 just beyond the northwest rim 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 ...

, on the

far side ''The Far Side'' is a single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Chronicle Features and then Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from December 31, 1979, to January 1, 1995 (when Larson retired as a cartoonist). Its surrealis ...

as seen 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 ...

. It lies to the northeast of the crater Rynin, and southward of the large walled plain Poczobutt. This is an old, eroded crater formation with features that have been softened and worn by impacts until now it just forms a bowl-shaped depression in the surface. The rim is circular in form along most of its perimeter, but has been broken through along the southern edge by Chapman W. There is an unnamed crater-like depression in the surface attached to the southwest rim, and here the edge is low and more narrow than the remaining inner wall. Several small craters lie along the outer rim and inner wall, with an attached pair forming a cleft in the western rim. There is a slender cleft in the wall along the northwest inner wall that runs from the western rim to the north. The interior floor of the crater is relatively flat and featureless in comparison to the rugged terrain that surrounds the crater, although it is pock-marked by several small impacts in the southeast quadrant. Chapman was formally named by the

IAU The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...

in 1970 after mathematician Sydney Chapman.Chapman
Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)

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 Chapman.

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{Craters on the Moon: C-F Impact craters on the Moon