Caventou (crater)

Caventou is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon. It is located in the southern hemisphere, to the southwest of the larger crater Von Karman, and northeast of Alder.

The crater is relatively well-defined, displaying a somewhat eroded but still discernible rim. The inner walls slope down to a relatively flat floor that is marked by a few small craterlets. There is a slight central peak formation near the crater's midpoint.

Caventou is named after French pharmacist Joseph Bienaimé Caventou, known for his contributions to the isolation and identification of several important chemical compounds.

The crater's location on the far side of the Moon makes it permanently invisible from Earth. Detailed observations have been obtained through lunar orbiters and landers.

Caventou lies within the South Pole-Aitken basin, a vast and ancient impact feature on the lunar far side. Its formation post-dates the South Pole-Aitken impact event but predates many of the smaller, fresher craters in the surrounding area.