Palitzsch (crater)

Palitzsch is a lunar impact crater that lies near the southeastern limb of the Moon. It is located to the southeast of the prominent crater Petavius, and northeast of Snellius. Due to its location, Palitzsch appears highly elongated when viewed from Earth.

The crater is named after the German astronomer Johann Palitzsch, who is best known for being the first to independently observe the periodic nature of Halley's Comet in 1758, confirming Edmond Halley's prediction.

Palitzsch is an irregular crater with a complex interior. The rim is heavily worn and eroded, with several smaller craters along its edge. The interior floor is relatively flat but marked by several small craterlets and ridges. A notable feature is the presence of dark-halo craters within its interior, suggesting the presence of volcanic ash deposits. These dark-halo craters are thought to have formed from explosive volcanic eruptions in the Moon's early history.

The crater is of Nectarian age.