Descartes (Moon)

Named after René Descartes - French mathematician, philosopher (1596-1650).

Descartes is a heavily worn lunar crater that is located in the rugged south-central highlands. The rim survives only in stretches, and is completely missing in the north. The crater Descartes A lies across the southwest rim. (wikipedia entry)

A crater is a circular depression likely created by an impact event. On the Moon they are named after deceased scientists, polar explorers, astronauts or cosmonauts.