List of maria on the Moon

This is a list of maria (large, dark, basaltic plains) on the Moon. It includes other basaltic plains, including the one oceanus as well as features known by the names lacus, palus and sinus. The modern system of lunar nomenclature was introduced in 1651 by Giovanni Battista Riccioli.[1] Riccioli's map of the Moon was drawn by Francesco Maria Grimaldi, who has a crater named after him.

Lunar nearside with major maria and craters labeled

Maria and Oceanus
Lunar Maria
Latin Name English Name Lat. Long. Diameter (km)
Mare Anguis Serpent Sea 22.6° N 67.7° E 150
Mare Australe Southern Sea 38.9° S 93.0° E 603
Mare Cognitum Sea of Knowledge 10.0° S 23.1° W 376
Mare Crisium Sea of Crises 17.0° N 59.1° E 418
Mare Fecunditatis Sea of Fecundity 7.8° S 51.3° E 909
Mare Frigoris Sea of Cold 56.0° N 1.4° E 1596
Mare Humboldtianum Sea of Alexander von Humboldt 56.8° N 81.5° E 273
Mare Humorum Sea of Moisture 24.4° S 38.6° W 389
Mare Imbrium[2] Sea of Showers 32.8° N 15.6° W 1123
Mare Ingenii Sea of Cleverness 33.7° S 163.5° E 318
Mare Insularum Sea of Islands 7.5° N 30.9° W 513
Mare Marginis Sea of the Edge 13.3° N 86.1° E 420
Mare Moscoviense Sea of Moscow 27.3° N 147.9° E 277
Mare Nectaris Sea of Nectar 15.2° S 35.5° E 333
Mare Nubium Sea of Clouds 21.3° S 16.6° W 715
Mare Orientale Eastern Sea 19.4° S 92.8° W 327
Mare Serenitatis Sea of Serenity 28.0° N 17.5° E 707
Mare Smythii Smyth's Sea 1.3° N 87.5° E 373
Mare Spumans Foaming Sea 1.1° N 65.1° E 139
Mare Tranquillitatis Sea of Tranquility 8.5° N 31.4° E 873
Mare Undarum Sea of Waves 6.8° N 68.4° E 243
Mare Vaporum Sea of Vapors 13.3° N 3.6° E 245
Oceanus Procellarum Ocean of Storms 18.4° N 57.4° W 2568

There was also a region on the Lunar farside that was briefly misidentified as a mare and named Mare Desiderii (Sea of Desire). It is no longer recognized. Other former maria include:

  • Mare Parvum[3] ("Small Sea"), immediately to the east of Inghirami
  • Mare Incognitum ("Unknown Sea")
  • Mare Novum[3] ("New Sea"), northeast of Plutarch
  • Mare Struve ("Struve's Sea"), near Messala

Lacus

A related set of features are the Lunar lacus /ˈleɪkəs/ (singular also lacus, Latin for "lake"),[4] which are smaller basaltic plains of similar origin:

Lunar Lacus
Latin Name English Name Lat. Long. Diameter (km)
Lacus Aestatis Lake of Summer 15.0° S 69.0° W 90
Lacus Autumni Lake of Autumn 9.9° S 83.9° W 183
Lacus Bonitatis Lake of Goodness 23.2° N 43.7° E 92
Lacus Doloris Lake of Sorrow 17.1° N 9.0° E 110
Lacus Excellentiae Lake of Excellence 35.4° S 44.0° W 184
Lacus Felicitatis Lake of Happiness 19.0° N 5.0° E 90
Lacus Gaudii Lake of Joy 16.2° N 12.6° E 113
Lacus Hiemalis Lake of Winter 15.0° N 14.0° E 50
Lacus Lenitatis Lake of Softness 14.0° N 12.0° E 80
Lacus Luxuriae Lake of Luxury 19.0° N 176.0° E 50
Lacus Mortis Lake of Death 45.0° N 27.2° E 151
Lacus Oblivionis Lake of Forgetfulness 21.0° S 168.0° W 50
Lacus Odii Lake of Hatred 19.0° N 7.0° E 70
Lacus Perseverantiae Lake of Perseverance 8.0° N 62.0° E 70
Lacus Solitudinis Lake of Solitude 27.8° S 104.3° E 139
Lacus Somniorum Lake of Dreams 38.0° N 29.2° E 384
Lacus Spei Lake of Hope 43.0° N 65.0° E 80
Lacus Temporis Lake of Time 45.9° N 58.4° E 117
Lacus Timoris Lake of Fear 38.8° S 27.3° W 117
Lacus Veris Lake of Spring 16.5° S 86.1° W 396

Sinus and Paludes

A related set of features are the sinus /ˈsaɪnəs/ (singular sinus, Latin for "bay")[5] and paludes /pəˈluːdiːz/ (singular palus /ˈpeɪləs/, Latin palūs, palūdēs "marsh"):

Lunar Sinus and Paludes
Latin Name English Name Lat. Long. Diameter (km)
Palus Epidemiarum Marsh of Epidemics 32.0° S 28.2° W 286
Palus Putredinis Marsh of Decay 26.5° N 0.4° E 161
Palus Somni Marsh of Sleep 14.1° N 45.0° E 143
Sinus Aestuum Seething Bay 10.9° N 8.8° W 290
Sinus Amoris Bay of Love 18.1° N 39.1° E 130
Sinus Asperitatis Bay of Roughness 3.8° S 27.4° E 206
Sinus Concordiae Bay of Harmony 10.8° N 43.2° E 142
Sinus Fidei Bay of Trust 18.0° N 2.0° E 70
Sinus Honoris Bay of Honor 11.7° N 18.1° E 109
Sinus Iridum Bay of Rainbows 44.1° N 31.5° W 236
Sinus Lunicus Lunik Bay 31.8° N 1.4° W 126
Sinus Medii Bay of the center 2.4° N 1.7° E 335
Sinus Roris Bay of Dew 54.0° N 56.6° W 202
Sinus Successus Bay of Success 0.9° N 59.0° E 132

Some sources also list a Palus Nebularum (Latin palūs nebulārum /ˈpeɪləs nɛbjʊˈlɛərəm/ "Marsh of Mists") at 38.0° N, 1.0° E. However the designation for this feature has not been officially recognized by the IAU.

See also

References
  1. Moore, Patrick (1983). The Guinness book of astronomy facts and feats. Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 25. ISBN 0-85112-258-2.
  2. "Moon Mare/Maria". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  3. "Astronomica Langrenus" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2006-10-12. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  4. In Latin, the singular is lacus ['lakʊs] and the plural is lacūs ['lakuːs], but they are spelled and pronounced the same in English.
  5. As with 'lacus', Latin sg. sinus and plural sinūs are spelled and pronounced the same in English
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