Moon Features Gallery

First crewed Moon landing on July 20, 1969 in southwestern Mare Tranquillitatis. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 2.5 hours on the surface. The site itself is not visible but the area is easy to locate.

Second crewed landing on November 19, 1969 in Oceanus Procellarum near Surveyor 3 crater. Precision landing within walking distance of Surveyor 3 probe.

Third crewed landing on February 5, 1971 in the Fra Mauro highlands. Shepard and Mitchell explored the Fra Mauro formation, ejecta from the Imbrium impact.

Fourth crewed landing on July 30, 1971 at Hadley-Apennine. First use of the Lunar Rover. Explored Rima Hadley and Mons Hadley Delta. Spectacular mountain scenery.

Fifth crewed landing on April 21, 1972 in the Descartes Highlands. Young and Duke explored the Cayley Formation. Only highland landing site.

Last crewed Moon landing on December 11, 1972 in Taurus-Littrow valley. Cernan and Schmitt (only scientist-astronaut) discovered orange soil. Longest surface stay.

Sea of Crises. Isolated circular mare near the eastern limb. Appears elongated N-S due to foreshortening but is actually wider E-W. First major feature after new Moon.

Sea of Moisture. Circular mare with Gassendi on its northern rim. Contains wrinkle ridges and ghost craters. Beautiful at 10-11 days.

Sea of Rains. Second largest mare, formed by a giant impact 3.9 billion years ago. Contains Archimedes, Plato on its rim, and Sinus Iridum bay.

Sea of Serenity. Circular dark basin with prominent wrinkle ridges. Bordered by Montes Haemus and Montes Caucasus. Contains Dorsa Smirnov ridge system.

Sea of Tranquility. Site of the Apollo 11 landing. Irregular shape with bluish tint from titanium-rich basalts. Contains Lamont ghost crater and wrinkle ridges.

Ocean of Storms. Largest dark area on the Moon, not a true circular basin. Contains Aristarchus, Kepler, and Copernicus. Site of several robotic landings.

Bay of Rainbows. Spectacular bay on the northwest edge of Mare Imbrium bounded by Montes Jura. The Jeweled Handle effect occurs when sunlight catches just the rim. Site of Chang'e 3 landing.

Central crater in the Ptolemaeus chain. Central peak and dark-haloed volcanic vents on the floor. Site of observed transient lunar phenomena by Kozyrev in 1958.

Large crater in Mare Imbrium with a smooth lava-flooded floor. Prominent walls but no central peak due to lava filling. Forms a trio with Aristillus and Autolycus.

Brightest crater on the Moon. Terraced walls and central peak. Adjacent to Vallis Schroteri. Frequent site of reported transient lunar phenomena.

Prominent terraced crater in the northern highlands. Forms a striking pair with nearby Eudoxus. Deep floor with central peaks.

Southernmost and youngest of the Ptolemaeus chain. Sharp terraced walls, central peak, and a prominent rille on the floor.

One of the largest craters visible on the Moon. Contains a distinctive arc of progressively smaller craters across its floor. Impressive at any magnification.

Spectacular terraced crater with central peaks and extensive ray system. One of the most prominent craters on the Moon, best seen near first quarter.

Well-preserved crater at the end of the Apennine mountain range. Deep terraced walls and central peaks. Marks the boundary between Mare Imbrium and Sinus Aestuum.

Floor-fractured crater on the northern edge of Mare Humorum. Complex rille system on floor, central peaks. Northern wall breached by mare lava.

Very dark-floored walled plain near the western limb. One of the darkest spots on the Moon. Visible with the naked eye as a dark spot.

Large terraced crater on the eastern limb near Mare Fecunditatis. Prominent central peak and well-defined walls. One of the first features visible after new Moon.

Magnificent crater with prominent central peak complex and a distinctive rille running from the center to the southwest wall. Best seen at 2-3 days after new Moon.

Large dark-floored crater on the northern edge of Mare Imbrium. Smooth lava-filled floor with subtle craterlets. Excellent test of seeing conditions.

Floor-fractured crater on the northeast edge of Mare Serenitatis. Complex floor with rilles, hills, and the smaller crater Posidonius A.

Large walled plain near the center of the visible disk. Flat dark floor with subtle features. Forms a magnificent chain with Alphonsus and Arzachel.

Very large walled plain near the southwestern limb. Floor has distinctive dark and light patches forming a banded appearance.

Impressive crater overlapping Cyrillus, forming part of a famous trio with Cyrillus and Catharina. Terraced walls and massive central peak complex.

Young crater with the most prominent ray system on the Moon, extending over 1500 km. Central peak visible in moderate telescopes. Best at full Moon for rays.

Mountain at the edge of Palus Putredinis rising 4.6 km. Adjacent to the Apollo 15 landing site and Rima Hadley. One of the tallest lunar peaks.

Prominent isolated mountain in northern Mare Imbrium. Rises 2.4 km above the plain. Part of an inner ring of the Imbrium basin. Stunning long shadows.

Isolated mountain peak in Mare Imbrium rising 2.3 km above the plain. Casts a dramatic long shadow at low sun angles. Easy binocular target.

Lunar Alps. Mountain range on the NE border of Mare Imbrium bisected by Vallis Alpes (Alpine Valley). Peaks up to 2.4 km high.

Lunar Apennines. Most impressive mountain range on the Moon forming the SE border of Mare Imbrium. Peaks reach 5 km. Best around first quarter when shadows are dramatic.

Jura Mountains. Curved range forming the boundary of Sinus Iridum. Creates the famous Jeweled Handle effect when sunlight catches the peaks at lunar sunrise.

Sinuous rille near the Apollo 15 landing site at the base of Mons Hadley. About 1.5 km wide and 300 m deep. Lava tube collapse channel.

Alpine Valley. Spectacular graben cutting through the Montes Alpes connecting Mare Imbrium to Mare Frigoris. Contains a narrow rille on its floor visible in larger telescopes.

Schröter's Valley. Largest sinuous rille on the Moon near Aristarchus. Begins at the Cobra Head volcanic vent. Up to 10 km wide. Impressive in moderate telescopes.

Bright tadpole-shaped swirl pattern in Oceanus Procellarum with no topographic expression. Associated with a localized magnetic anomaly that deflects solar wind. Unique feature.

The Straight Wall. Most famous lunar fault scarp, a 110 km long, 300 m high cliff in Mare Nubium. Appears as a dark line before full Moon and bright line after. Best around day 8.