Somerville is a small
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 ...
in the eastern part 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 ...
. It lies to the east of the prominent crater
Langrenus, and was designated Langrenus J before being given a name by the
IAU
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...
. This is a roughly circular, bowl-shaped formation, with the larger but less conspicuous Langrenus H attached to the northwest rim. The rim has a protruding lip that extends slightly toward the southwest.
This is one of a handful of
lunar craters named after a woman,
Mary Somerville.
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Impact craters on the Moon