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Moon Mare

"Oceans of the Moon"


What to look for through the telescope


  1. Recommended eyepiece: 26mm or 40mm

Mare Information

  1. These are the smooth dark areas on the moon.

  2. They were formed about 3.5 to 4 billion years ago when lava flowed through cracks in the lunar surface and filled in the low-lying areas.

  3. THE LAVA DID NOT COME FROM VOLCANOES. LUNAR GEOLOGISTS HAVE NOT SEEN ANY VOLCANOES ON THE MOON'S SURFACE NOR DO THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY EVER EXISTED.

  4. The maria are younger than the highlands. This is evidenced by the smaller number of craters on them as compared to the highlands. Since cratering took place early in the moon's history, the maria at one time had as many craters as the highlands, but they were filled in by the lava.

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Mare Crisium

Sea of Crises

Longitude 58° E Best Seen 3 & 16-day old moon
Latitude 13° N Diameter 350 by 270 miles

Mare Crisium Information

  1. Small lava plain 350 by 270 miles that is elongated in the east-west direction. Foreshortening makes it appear longer in the north-south direction. This is equal to the area of the state of Washington. Its apparent size is only half that much.

  2. Notice mountainous surroundings. These mountains are 13,500 feet above the plain in the south and 14,400 on the north.

  3. Notice the 3 craters on the floor - [Picard(#picard)], Pierce, and Graham.

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Mare Fecunditatis

Sea of Fertility

Longitude 51° E Best Seen 5-day old moon
Latitude 04° S Diameter about 200 miles

Mare Fecunditatis Information

  1. Note the twin craters Messier and Pickering. (Each has a diameter of about 8 miles.)
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Mare Imbrium

Sea of Rains

Longitude 16° W Best Seen 9-day old moon
Latitude 36° N Diameter 750 miles east-west
690 miles north-south

Mare Imbrium Information

  1. This is the largest maria on the moon with over 700 craters on its surface. Note the Apennine Mountain Range to the east, especially Mt. Huygens which rises to 20,000 feet.

  2. The large basin which originally occupied this area was formed by the impact of an object ranging from 40 miles in diameter for a 10 mile per second impact to 118 miles for a 2 mile per second impact. A faint outline of a crater 420 miles across has been seen.

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Mare Nectaris

Sea of Nectar

Longitude 34° E Best Seen 5-day old moon
Latitude 14° S Diameter ?? miles

Mare Nectaris Information

  1. Note the crater chain Theophilus, Cyrillus, and Catharina. All three have diameters of 65 to 70 miles.

  2. Theophilus is the best preserved with a central mountain peak, a depressed floor, and walls 18,000 feet high.

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Mare Nubium

Sea of Clouds

Longitude 14° W Best Seen 9-day old moon
Latitude 19° S Diameter ?? miles

Mare Nubium Information

  1. This one of the darkest areas on the moon reflecting only 6% of the sun's light. It may also be a source of highly polarized light.
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Mare Serenitatis

Sea of Serenity

Longitude 17° E Best Seen 7-day old moon
Latitude 30° S Diameter ?? miles
Size of Mexico

Mare Serenitatis Information

  1. This is believed to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, mare on the moon.
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Mare Tranquillitatis

Sea of Tranquility

Longitude 30° E Best Seen 7-day old moon
Latitude 09° N Diameter ?? miles

Mare Tranquillitatis Information

  1. Surveyor 5 landed in the southwest part of Mare Tranquillitatus on September 10, 1967. It sent back over 18,000 photos and found that the soil is similar to basalt on Earth with:

  2. 58% oxygen

  3. 18% silicon
  4. 6% magnesium

…in addition to iron, calcium, nickel, carbon, and sodium.

  1. Apollo 11 made the first landing on the moon about 65 miles east of Sabine, on July 20, 1969.
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