Merekovskii

Merekovskii is a lunar crater located on the far side of the Moon, named after the Soviet astronomer and geophysicist Yakov B. Merekovskii. The crater is situated in the southern hemisphere, near the lunar south pole, and is approximately 120 kilometers in diameter. Its coordinates are 71.4° S, 126.5° E, and it lies within the Mare Orientale basin, one of the largest and most prominent impact features on the Moon's surface.

The crater's rim is eroded and irregular, with a number of smaller craters superimposed on its edges. The interior of Merekovskii is relatively flat, with a central peak complex that rises to a height of about 1.5 kilometers above the crater floor. The peak complex is composed of several distinct peaks, suggesting that the impact event that formed the crater was of significant magnitude.

Merekovskii is of interest to scientists due to its location near the lunar south pole, where there is evidence of water ice in permanently shadowed craters. The crater itself does not contain any significant deposits of water ice, but its proximity to these regions makes it a valuable target for future exploration and potential resource utilization.

The crater was officially named by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1970, following the recommendation of the IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. The name was chosen to honor Yakov B. Merekovskii, a prominent Soviet scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and geophysics.