MOON TOUR
CLAVIUS CRATER
Find one of the largest lunar impacts, made famous in a science-fiction film that helped shape the Space Age
If you’re a fan of the classic 1968 science-fiction film 2001:A Space Odyssey, this month’s lunar ‘celebrity feature’ will need no introduction. Not the bright-rayed crater Tycho, where the alien monolith was unearthed; Tycho is 430 kilometres (267 miles) to the north of our destination: Clavius, a crater so huge it’s easily visible to the naked eye when it lies near the terminator, appearing as an obvious notch between the areas of light and dark. Clavius’ diameter of 225 kilometres (140 miles) makes it the third-largest crater on the side of the Moon that faces Earth. Binoculars and small telescopes reveal a wealth of detail in and around it. The first time you see Clavius with even a little magnification, you’ll understand why this crater is a favourite object for many lunar observers.