Chaffee (crater)
Chaffee is a
lunar impact crater that is located in the southern
hemisphere on the
far side of the
Moon. It lies within the huge
Apollo walled plain, and is one of several craters in that formation named for
astronauts and people associated with the
Apollo program. This basin is a double-ringed formation, and Chaffee crater is situated across the southwest part of the inner ring. The ridge from this ring extends northward from the northern rim of Chaffee.
This is a circular crater with an outer rim that has an uneven form due to multiple small outward bulges. The perimeter is only slightly worn, and retains a sharp rim that projects above the surroundings. Two notable craters are attached to the outer rim: 'Chaffee F' to the west and 'Chaffee W' along the northwest. Chaffee is actually intruding somewhat into the former crater, and the two share a common rim. There is also a tiny craterlet exactly on the rim to the south-southeast.
The inner walls of Chaffee do not have a well-formed
terrace system, and they slope downward to debris piles that extend part way across the floor. Parts of the interior floor are relatively level and featureles. However there are several small craters lying in the northern half, particularly to the northwest of the mid-point.
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Chaffee crater.
| Chaffee | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter | | F | 38.8° S | 152.5° W | 35 km |
| S | 39.5° S | 156.6° W | 19 km |
| W | 38.2° S | 155.3° W | 25 km |
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