Tycho
A young, bright crater whose ray system dominates the full Moon.
Type
Crater
Extent
85 km
Coordinates
43.3°S 11.2°W
Tycho is only about 108 million years old — recent enough that its ejecta has not yet been darkened by space weathering. The result is the brightest feature on the near side at full Moon, with rays reaching more than 1,500 km across the southern highlands.
The crater itself is 85 km wide and 4.8 km deep, with terraced walls and a central peak rising 2 km from the floor. Under a high Sun it is unmistakable; near the terminator the rays vanish entirely and only the relief remains.