Why it matters

Shackleton connects crater morphology with future navigation and resource scenarios for lunar missions.

What happenedA polar crater near the lunar south pole, important because of permanently shadowed regions.
Why it mattersShackleton connects crater morphology with future navigation and resource scenarios for lunar missions.
How scientists knowGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Measurements and uncertainty

Diameter21 km
Depth4.2 km
Ageage under study
StatusConfirmed
Coordinates89.900° S / 0.000° E / prime meridian
Record levelminimal

Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.

Scientific profile

Its walls receive contrasting illumination while the floor may preserve ultra-cold conditions and volatiles.

Data provenanceGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Reconstruction gallery

More visual readings of the crater

If verified imagery is not enough, the profile receives a scientific reconstruction: not fantasy in place of fact, but a visual hypothesis clearly separated from sources.

World palettelunar graphite, silver, and cold shadow
Lunar orbital context shows the polar region; the card is ready for a specialized polar image.
Current visual previewBase plate: source image, satellite material, or editorial plate where visual reading begins.
Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Visual reconstruction

Reverse reconstruction → Chronological inversion → Bidirectional analysis → The present as an archive of the future

Every profile needs a visualization preview: an existing image, an aesthetically treated source, or a scientific reconstruction.

Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
Bidirectional analysischecking past-to-present and present-to-past interpretations
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Research history

The polar region has been studied by orbiters in the context of water, illumination, and future landings.

Sources

CSVJSONShackleton. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
Uncertainty note
Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.
Gazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGS

Education mode

Facts

  • The crater often appears in south-pole exploration scenarios.
  • Its floor receives almost no direct sunlight.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareTycho