What is "oken"

Oken is a surname. It may refer to:

• Lorenz Oken (originally Okenfuß ) (1779–1851), German naturalist
  • 46563 Oken, a main-belt asteroid named for Lorenz Oken
  • Oken (crater), a lunar crater named for Lorenz Oken
• Steven Oken (1962–2004), U.S. convicted murderer

Oken is a lunar crater near the southeastern limb of the Moon. It is normally visible from the Earth, but is foreshortened and within the region of the surface that is subject to libration. To the south and east of this feature is the broad, uneven Mare Australe, which extends to the far side of the Moon.

The interior of this crater has become flooded by basaltic lava, producing a nearly level, featureless surface with a low albedo. A number of tiny craterlets mark this surface, particularly in the northwest. The surrounding mountain ring has been eroded by impacts, and is somewhat distorted from a true circular shape. There is a wide bulge in the rim toward the southeast, where the surface is lower and more rugged. Slight bulges also exist to the southwest and northwest. The rim is marked by a number of tiny impacts along the edge, particularly to the southwest.