Gassendi - 114 km wide
(click on image for a larger view, then click "BACK")
On the north bank of Mare Humorum lies a big crater named for Pierre Gassendi. He was an important astronomer in the early 1600's. The crater's rim dips down into the mare and the lower part is flooded with lava. Like other flooded craters, Gassendi was formed billions of years before the lava flowed. The double central mountains are 1.2 km high. If you look closely you can see old submerged craters and wrinkle ridges on the floor of Mare Humorum. The huge block of rock along the southeast shore of Humorum is Promontory Kelvin, named for the famous physicist.
Image: November 26, 2005