Shackleton (crater)

Shackleton

South lunar pole as imaged by the Diviner instrument on the NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Shackleton is at bottom center.
Coordinates	89°40′S 129°47′E / 89.67°S 129.78°E / -89.67; 129.78[1]
Diameter	21.0 km[2]
Depth	4.2 km[2]
Colongitude	0° at sunrise
Eponym	Ernest Shackleton

Shackleton is an impact crater that lies at the lunar south pole. The peaks along the crater's rim are exposed to almost continual sunlight, while the interior is perpetually in shadow. The low-temperature interior of this crater functions as a cold trap that may capture and freeze volatiles shed during comet impacts on the Moon. Measurements by the Lunar Prospector spacecraft showed higher than normal amounts of hydrogen within the crater, which may indicate the presence of water ice. The crater is named after Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton.