Clavius (crater)

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Clavius is one of the largest crater formations on the Moon and the largest crater on the visible near side. T. W. Webb described it as "one of the grandest cavities in the Moon, though ill-placed for observation." It is "tolerably circular" and "encompassed by a wall damaged by successive explosions". When on the terminator, Clavius can be discerned with the naked eye. This crater is a key topographic attraction of the rugged southern highlands of the Moon, positioned to the south of the prominent ray crater Tycho. A ray from Tycho crosses the Clavius basin from north to south. This formation is named for the German mathematician Christopher Clavius (1537-1612). His name was included as "Clavius Soc. I." in the lunar nomenclature of the Italian astronomer Giovanni B. Riccioli in 1651. The "Soc. I." was later dropped. This designation was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.

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