Herschel is a lunar impact crater located just to the north of the walled plain Ptolemaeus.

About a crater diameter to the northwest (35 km) is the walled plain Flammarion, along the southern edge of the Sinus Medii.

The rim of this crater is generally circular, although the western side is straight.

It has a well-defined edge that is not significantly worn, and the inner walls are terraced.

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