Joule (crater)

Joule

Mosaic of oblique Lunar Orbiter 5 images, facing west
Coordinates	27°18′N 144°12′W / 27.3°N 144.2°W / 27.3; -144.2Coordinates: 27°18′N 144°12′W / 27.3°N 144.2°W / 27.3; -144.2
Diameter	96 km
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	145° at sunrise
Eponym	James Prescott Joule

Joule is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon. It is located to the north-northeast of the walled plain Mach. To the northwest of Joule is the crater Blazhko.

This is a worn and eroded crater formation. A pair of smaller craters lies along the northeastern rim, and a crater is intruding into the northwest rim. To the south is an outward projection that has the appearance of a crater partly overlain by Joule. The remainder of the rim and inner wall is somewhat irregular. The interior floor is more level than the terrain surrounding the crater, but is marked by some small craterlets. At the midpoint of the interior floor is a central peak.

Joule T, located less than a crater diameter to the west of Joule, lies at the center of a ray system. These rays primarily project to the south of the crater, with the most prominent ray crossing the crater Harvey to the south. Only faint traces of this ray system actually cross into Joule, and are generally restricted to the western rim, inner sides and floor.

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