Gaudibert

Gaudibert is a lunar impact crater located in the Mare Nectaris region of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the prominent crater Theophilus, and to the east of Isidorus. Its name honors the 19th-century French selenographer Casimir Marie Gaudibert.

Description

Gaudibert is a relatively shallow crater for its size, with a somewhat worn and eroded appearance. Its rim is irregular, featuring a number of small craterlets and indentations. The inner walls slope gently down to a relatively flat floor that is darker in albedo than the surrounding lunar surface. This darker hue is likely due to basaltic lava flows that covered the floor after the initial impact.

Notable Features

• The floor of Gaudibert exhibits evidence of rilles or fractures, likely related to the tectonic activity within Mare Nectaris.
• A small, bowl-shaped crater lies near the center of Gaudibert's floor.
• The crater rim is breached in several places, notably on the western side, where a valley connects Gaudibert to the surrounding mare.

Relationship to Other Features

Gaudibert is situated within the larger geological context of Mare Nectaris, a lunar mare formed by ancient volcanic activity. Its proximity to Theophilus, a younger and more pristine crater, highlights the age difference between the two structures. The impact that formed Theophilus likely post-dates the formation of Gaudibert, and may have contributed to the erosion and modification of Gaudibert's rim.

Nomenclature

The crater was officially named by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) after Casimir Marie Gaudibert (1823-1901), a French clergyman and amateur astronomer renowned for his detailed lunar observations and selenographic work.