Named after Ilya Ilich Mechnikov - Russian-French bacteriologist; Nobel laureate (1845-1916).
Mechnikov is an impact crater on the far side. It is located just to the northeast of the much larger walled plain Galois, being separated by a stretch of irregular terrain about 20–30 km in width. This is a roughly circular crater that has undergone a moderate amount of impact erosion, but is still intact. Attached to the exterior along the northeast are the satellite craters Mechnikov C and Mechnikov D. There is a small crater in the western part 's interior floor. (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.
