Even on the Moon, the pull of Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras can be felt, especially when it’s a big, gaping hole.

Seen here is the Moon’s Pythagoras crater, named for the mathematician, as seen by the European Space Agency’s SMART-1 spacecraft. With a diameter of 390 miles (130 kilometers) and a depth of 15 miles (five kilometers), the crater is a unique lunar depression carved during a past impact.

While SMART-1 took this image in December 2004, it was only released Monday as the spacecraft is preparing to smash into the lunar surface. The hexagonal shape of Pythagoras crater can be seen, as well as evidence of past landslides around its edges.

ESA officials said the rim of the Pythagoras crater is well preserved and appears to be terraced into several layers. The crater’s floor is flat – but not perfectly smooth – and sports a central, double-peaked formation that rises 4.5 miles (8 kilometers) up from its surroundings.

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-- SPACE.com Staff

Credit: ESA/SPACE-X Space Exploration Institute.