Curie is a large

lunar Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon". Lunar may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games * "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta * "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...

impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters ...

, much of which lies on the

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of the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

as seen from the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

. The western rim projects into the near side of the Moon, as defined by the selenographic coordinate system. However the visibility of this formation depends on the effects of

libration In lunar astronomy, libration is the wagging or wavering of the Moon perceived by Earth-bound observers and caused by changes in their perspective. It permits an observer to see slightly different hemispheres of the surface at different tim ...

, so that it can be brought fully into view or completely hidden depending on the orientation of the Moon. When visible, however, it is seen nearly from the side, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed. Nearby craters of note include

Schorr Schorr ( he, שור) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Avraham Schorr, American rabbi * Bill Schorr, American cartoonist * Daniel Schorr (1916–2010), American journalist * Friedrich Schorr (1888–1953), Hungarian-Austrian ...

to the northwest and the walled plain Sklodowska to the northeast. Attached to the southeastern rim is the heavily damaged walled plain Lauritsen. Both Sklodowska and Lauritsen are smaller than Curie. The outer rim of Curie has been damaged and reshaped by nearby impacts. The sides of the rim are relatively linear, giving the crater an overall box-like shape. The eastern part of the rim is partly overlaid by the notable satellite craters Curie C to the northeast and Curie G along the east. At the northern end the rim is overlaid by the small crater Curie Z. Several other small craters lie along the rim, especially to the southwest. The interior floor of Curie forms a relatively level plain, at least in comparison to the terrain that surrounds the crater. However this floor is disrupted in several locations by small impacts. A cluster of such impacts lies near the southwestern rim, with several of these craters overlapping each other. The small crater Curie K is located in the southeastern part of the floor, and Curie V lies alongside the northwestern inner wall.

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Curie.

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * Impact craters on the Moon {{Craters on the Moon: C-F