Crater · Southern highlands

Tycho Crater

A young, conspicuous impact crater surrounded by an extensive bright ray system visible across much of the near side.

Feature typeCrater

RegionSouthern highlands

Approximate scale85 km

Location43.3°S, 11.2°W

Hubble view of Tycho crater and its bright ejecta rays on the Moon. Credit: NASA, ESA and D. Ehrenreich. View the NASA source and download information.

Tycho CraterYoung complex impact crater · schematic locator aid

The schematic separates the landform concept from the spacecraft or telescope image above.

What you are looking at

Tycho is about 85 km wide with terraced walls, a relatively flat floor, a central mountain complex and one of the Moon's most conspicuous ray systems. Its crisp relief reflects its geologically young age.

How it formed and changed

The impact excavated and melted highland crust, threw ejecta across a vast area and produced secondary craters far from the rim. Bright rays remain optically fresh because space weathering has had less time to darken the excavated material than on older terrain.

What scientists learn here

LRO images reveal impact-melt ponds, boulder tracks, fractured central-peak material and wall-collapse deposits at metre scales. Tycho is also important to lunar chronology because material attributed to its ejecta has been connected with Apollo 17 sample studies.

How to find and observe Tycho Crater

Tycho is easy to identify in the southern highlands. Near full Moon its rays dominate the disk; several days away from full Moon, lower sunlight makes the rim, terraces and central peaks much easier to read in relief.

Nearby landmarks and exploration context

Look north toward Mare Nubium and the central near side, and south toward the densely cratered southern highlands. Clavius lies farther south and provides a useful size contrast.

Why this feature matters

Tycho is a useful case study in impact ejecta, crater morphology and relative surface age.

Check lunar phaseCompare dates and illumination before observing.Plan an observing sessionUse phase-based target suggestions and keep the terrain in context.