Fabricius is a
lunar 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 crater ...
that is located within the northeast part of the walled plain
Janssen. Attached to the north-northwest rim is the slightly larger crater
Metius
Adriaan Adriaanszoon, called Metius, (9 December 1571 – 6 September 1635), was a Dutch geometer and astronomer born in Alkmaar. The name "Metius" comes from the Dutch word ''meten'' ("measuring"), and therefore means something like "measurer" o ...
. Fabricius has multiple central peaks that rise to 0.8 km, with a rugged rise to the northwest running north–south. The rim is lumpy and somewhat distended, most noticeably to the southwest and south. It is 78 kilometers in diameter and 2,500 meters deep. It is from the
Eratosthenian period, 3.2 to 1.1 billion years ago. It is named after
David Fabricius, a 16th-century
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
astronomer.
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 Fabricius.
References
Impact craters on the Moon
Eratosthenian
{{Craters on the Moon: C-F