is a young
Lunar Impact Crater that lies on the
Mare Frigoris , at the eastern edge of the
Sinus Roris . To the southeast at the edge of the
Mare is the small
Foucault Crater , and to the northwest on the opposite edge is the walled-plain named
South .
The rim of Harpalus is sharp-edged with little sign of wear or erosion. It is surrounded by an outer
Rampart of ''ejecta'', most notably toward the north, and is at the center of a small
Ray System . The wall is not perfectly circular, and has a few outward notches and protrusions, especially along the eastern half.
The inner surface is d, and flows down to the floor. The interior wall is the least wide along the northern face, making the floor slightly offset in that direction. Near the mid-point is a system of low central ridges.
This was the crater chosen as a rocket landing site in the
1950s Science Fiction Film ''
Destination Moon ''. It was chosen by the artist
Chesley Bonestell as it had a relatively high latitude and the
Earth could be realistically displayed at a low altitude during camera shots. However, the resulting clay model of the crater was given some mud cracks across the floor, an addition to which Bonestall objected.
By convention, these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Harpalus crater.
