Kaiser is a lunar impact crater. It lies in the crater-riddled terrain in the southern part of the Moon's near side. It was named after the Dutch astronomer Frederik Kaiser.[1] The crater is nearly attached to the northeast rim the slightly larger crater Fernelius, and the two are separated by an irregular patch of ground only a few kilometers wide. To the northwest of Kaiser lies Nonius, a crater remnant.

Kaiser
Mosaic of Lunar Orbiter 4 images
Coordinates36°30′S 6°30′E / 36.5°S 6.5°E / -36.5; 6.5
Diameter52 km
Depth1.8 km
Colongitude354° at sunrise
EponymFrederik Kaiser
Selenochromatic Image (Si) of the crater area

The rim of this crater is heavily worn from impact erosion, and the features have been generally softened and rounded. Parts of the southern inner wall has become incised, and the elongated satellite crater Kaiser A lies across the eastern rim. The interior floor of Kaiser is relatively featureless, being marked only by a few tiny craterlets.

Satellite craters

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Kaiser crater and its satellite craters taken from Earth in 2012 at the University of Hertfordshire's Bayfordbury Observatory with the telescopes Meade LX200 14" and Lumenera Skynyx 2-1

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Kaiser.

Kaiser Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 36.3° S 7.3° E 20 × 14 km
B 36.3° S 5.6° E 6 km
C 36.5° S 9.7° E 12 km
D 37.0° S 7.4° E 5 km
E 34.9° S 7.1° E 5 km
R 34.3° S 7.2° E 4 km

References

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  1. ^ "Kaiser (lunar crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.