Dove is a lunar impact crater located in the rugged lunar highlands in the southeastern part of the Moon. It lies to the north of the prominent crater Pitiscus.
It is a heavily eroded crater with a rim that is overlaid by multiple smaller craters. In particular, the satellite crater Dove C has broken into the southwestern rim, and a gap joins the floor of the two formations. The southern rim has been struck by multiple small impacts that form a tight cluster across the rim. There are also several small craters along the northern rim. A crater-like formation with a level floor covers nearly half the interior floor to the northwest.
This formation is named after German physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove (1803-1879). His name was incorporated into the lunar nomenclature of German astronomer Johann F. J. Schmidt in 1878. Its designation was formally adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935.
Satellite craters By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Dove.
DoveLatitudeLongitudeDiameterA46.9° S33.5° E13 kmB47.1° S33.1° E19 kmC47.0° S30.8° E19 kmZ44.5° S29.2° E8 km
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