Le Gentil (lunar crater)
Le Gentil is a large, ancient impact crater on the southwest near side of the Moon, close to the limb and almost attached to the southern edge of the immense walled plain Bailly. The International Astronomical Union approved the name in 1935 in honor of the French astronomer Guillaume Hyacinthe Le Gentil (1725–1792).1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Feature type | Impact crater on the Moon, adopted by the IAU1 |
| Diameter | 125.38 km1 |
| Center coordinates | 74.27° south latitude, 76.02° west longitude (planetographic, +East)1 |
| Approval | IAU adoption date 1935; named for Guillaume Hyazinthe, French astronomer (1725–1792)1 |
| Age | An old crater formed in the Pre-Nectarian period, roughly 4.55 to 3.92 billion years ago2 |
| Satellite features | Le Gentil A, B, C, D, and G1 |
Location and setting
Le Gentil lies in the Moon's southern hemisphere at a center latitude of 74.27° south and a center longitude of 76.02° west, within the LAC-136 chart quadrant of the lunar mapping series.1 The Gazetteer's bounding coordinates place the feature between 72.21° and 76.34° south latitude and between 68.37° and 83.67° west longitude.1
Age and character
At 125.38 km across, Le Gentil falls in the size range of large lunar impact structures, well above the roughly 15 km threshold at which lunar craters develop complex forms such as terraced walls and central peaks.1 • 3 The crater is described as an old formation dating to the Pre-Nectarian period, between about 4.55 and 3.92 billion years ago, which places its origin among the earliest recognizable impact structures on the Moon.2 Craters of this antiquity have typically been heavily modified by subsequent impacts, so their original morphology is degraded compared with young, sharp-rimmed craters.3
Naming
The crater's name honors Guillaume Hyacinthe Le Gentil, a French astronomer who lived from 1725 to 1792.1 The name was formally adopted by the IAU in 1935, in the first major era of standardized lunar nomenclature, and the Gazetteer entry cites The System of Lunar Craters by D. W. G. Arthur and colleagues as its reference.1
Five satellite craters carry lettered names derived from the main feature: Le Gentil A, Le Gentil B, Le Gentil C, Le Gentil D, and Le Gentil G.1
References
- Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature: Le Gentil, USGS Astrogeology Science Center
- 勒讓蒂環形山, 中文百科全書
- Moon Craters, NASA Science
Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026
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