nix
n.n. a small, dark spot on the surface of the Moon. You can see them as dark areas when you look at the Moon through a telescope.
n. a small, dark lunar crater or depression, typically measuring less than 100 meters in diameter. Often used in the plural to describe the fine details of the lunar surface.
The telescope showed several small nix on the Moon's edge.
Astronomers used high-resolution imaging to map the distribution of nix across the lunar highlands.
While larger craters are easily visible to the naked eye, the nix require specialized equipment to observe, as they are often obscured by the Moon's rugged terrain and lighting conditions.
From German nix, colloquial form of nichts (“nothing”). Compare also Dutch niks (“nothing”), informal for niets (“nothing”). More at naught.
From German Nix, from Middle High German nickes, niches, from Old High German nichus, nihhus, from Proto-Germanic nikwus (“water-spirit; nix”), from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- (“to wash”). Cognate with Old English nicor (“a water-monster; hippopotamus”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 18, 2026