page_title: Secondary crater
section_title: Chains and clusters
hierarchical_section_title: Secondary crater / Appearance / Chains and clusters
caption_attribution_description: Українська: Частина ланцюжка вторинних кратерів місячного кратера Коперник. Ланцюжок тягнеться на півдні Моря Дощів (де знаходиться показана частина) та на півночі Затоки Спеки; його повна довжина&#160;— біля 250 км. Центр знімка знаходиться на відстані 180&#160;км від краю Коперника. Розміри зображення&#160;— 50×13&#160;км, північ праворуч. Знімок космічного апарата Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, зроблений вузькокутньою камерою (NAC) 10 липня 2012 з висоти 128&#160;км. Висота Сонця&#160;— 21°. English: Part of chain of secondary craters of lunar crater Copernicus. The chain is located in southern Mare Imbrium (the depicted part is situated here) and in northern Sinus Aestuum; it's full length is about 250&#160;km. Center of the image is about 180 km from the rim of Copernicus. Image size is 50×13&#160;km; north is at right. Photo by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, made with Narrow Angle Camera 10 July 2012 from altitude 128&#160;km. Sun elevation is 21°.
context_page_description: Secondary craters are impact craters formed by the ejecta that was thrown out of a larger crater. They sometimes form radial crater chains. In addition, secondary craters are often seen as clusters or rays surrounding primary craters. The study of secondary craters exploded around the mid-twentieth century when researchers studying surface craters to predict the age of planetary bodies realized that secondary craters contaminated the crater statistics of a body's crater count.
context_section_description: Secondary craters may appear as small-scaled singular craters similar to a primary crater with a smaller radius, or as chains and clusters. A secondary crater chain is simply a row or chain of secondary craters lined adjacent to one another. Likewise, a cluster is a population of secondaries near to one another.
caption: Secondary crater chain of Copernicus in Mare Imbrium
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