The inner walls receive illumination for 30% of a lunar day, while part of the western end of the crater is in permanent shadow.

[1] The south polar region of the Moon was surveyed by the Lunar Prospector spacecraft and a hydrogen signature was detected.

Potential sources for this hydrogen include water deposits from comet or meteorite impacts, the solar wind or out-gassing.

[8] The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the LCROSS, impactor spacecraft on 18 June 2009, to look for water at the Lunar south pole.

[10] Preliminary data from the LCROSS spectrometer measurements of the impact plume appeared to confirm the presence of water in the crater.

[12] By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Cabeus.