Lunar craters, 1866 artwork. These craters on the Moon, which include the Archimedes crater, were observed and drawn by the US astronomer Henry Draper (1837-1882). Lunar craters are formed when asteroids or meteors impact the surface of the Moon. These collisions, which take place at high speeds, form a characteristic ring of crater walls, and a central peak. More detailed observations of the Archimedes crater show that it lacks this central peak. The mapping of the Moon with telescopes started with Galileo in 1610, and then developed further during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries as telescopes improved.