List of maria on the Moon

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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.

Maria and Oceanus

Maria and Oceanus of the Moon
Latin name	Name (English translation)	Lunar coordinates	Diameter (km)
Mare Anguis	Serpent Sea	22°36′N 67°42′E / 22.600°N 67.700°E / 22.600; 67.700 (Mare Anguis)	150 km (93 mi)
Mare Australe	Southern Sea	38°54′S 93°00′E / 38.900°S 93.000°E / -38.900; 93.000 (Mare Australe)	603 km (375 mi)
Mare Cognitum	Sea of Knowledge	10°00′S 23°06′W / 10.000°S 23.100°W / -10.000; -23.100 (Mare Cognitum)	376 km (234 mi)
Mare Crisium	Sea of Crises	17°00′N 58°06′E / 17.000°N 58.100°E / 17.000; 58.100 (Mare Crisium)	418 km (260 mi)
Mare Fecunditatis	Sea of Fecundity	7°48′S 51°18′E / 7.800°S 51.300°E / -7.800; 51.300 (Mare Fecunditatis)	909 km (565 mi)
Mare Frigoris	Sea of Cold	56°00′N 1°24′E / 56.000°N 1.400°E / 56.000; 1.400 (Mare Frigoris)	1,596 km (992 mi)
Mare Humboldtianum	Sea of Alexander von Humboldt	56°48′N 81°30′E / 56.800°N 81.500°E / 56.800; 81.500 (Mare Humboldtianum)	273 km (170 mi)
Mare Humorum	Sea of Moisture or Humors	24°24′S 38°36′W / 24.400°S 38.600°W / -24.400; -38.600 (Mare Humorum)	389 km (242 mi)
Mare Imbrium^[2]	Sea of Showers	32°48′N 15°36′W / 32.800°N 15.600°W / 32.800; -15.600 (Mare Imbrium)	1,123 km (698 mi)
Mare Ingenii	Sea of Cleverness	33°42′S 163°30′E / 33.700°S 163.500°E / -33.700; 163.500 (Mare Ingenii)	318 km (198 mi)
Mare Insularum	Sea of Islands	7°30′N 30°54′W / 7.500°N 30.900°W / 7.500; -30.900 (Mare Insularum)	513 km (319 mi)
Mare Marginis	Sea of the Edge	13°18′N 86°06′E / 13.300°N 86.100°E / 13.300; 86.100 (Mare Marginis)	420 km (260 mi)
Mare Moscoviense	Sea of Moscow	27°18′N 147°54′E / 27.300°N 147.900°E / 27.300; 147.900 (Mare Moscoviense)	277 km (172 mi)
Mare Nectaris	Sea of Nectar	15°12′S 35°30′E / 15.200°S 35.500°E / -15.200; 35.500 (Mare Nectaris)	333 km (207 mi)
Mare Nubium	Sea of Clouds	21°18′S 16°36′W / 21.300°S 16.600°W / -21.300; -16.600 (Mare Nubium)	715 km (444 mi)
Mare Orientale	Eastern Sea	19°24′S 92°48′W / 19.400°S 92.800°W / -19.400; -92.800 (Mare Orientale)	327 km (203 mi)
Mare Serenitatis	Sea of Serenity	28°00′N 17°30′E / 28.000°N 17.500°E / 28.000; 17.500 (Mare Serenitatis)	707 km (439 mi)
Mare Smythii	Smyth's Sea	1°18′N 87°30′E / 1.300°N 87.500°E / 1.300; 87.500 (Mare Smythii)	373 km (232 mi)
Mare Spumans	Foaming Sea	1°06′N 65°06′E / 1.100°N 65.100°E / 1.100; 65.100 (Mare Spumans)	139 km (86 mi)
Mare Tranquillitatis	Sea of Tranquility	8°30′N 31°24′E / 8.500°N 31.400°E / 8.500; 31.400 (Mare Tranquillitatis)	873 km (542 mi)
Mare Undarum	Sea of Waves	6°48′N 68°24′E / 6.800°N 68.400°E / 6.800; 68.400 (Mare Undarum)	243 km (151 mi)
Mare Vaporum	Sea of Vapors	13°18′N 3°36′E / 13.300°N 3.600°E / 13.300; 3.600 (Mare Vaporum)	245 km (152 mi)
Oceanus Procellarum	Ocean of Storms	18°24′N 57°24′W / 18.400°N 57.400°W / 18.400; -57.400 (Oceanus Procellarum)	2,568 km (1,596 mi)

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"),^[a] 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")^[b] 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.

Map

Notes

^ In Latin, the singular is lacus ['lakʊs] and the plural is lacūs ['lakuːs], but they are spelled and pronounced the same in English.
^ As with 'lacus', Latin sg. sinus and plural sinūs are spelled and pronounced the same in English.

References

^ Moore, Patrick (1983). The Guinness book of astronomy facts and feats. Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 25. ISBN 0-85112-258-2.
^ "Moon Mare/Maria". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
^ ^a ^b "Astronomica Langrenus" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2006-10-12. Retrieved 2006-12-05.

L. E. Andersson and Ewen A. Whitaker, NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature, NASA RP-1097, 1982, no ISBN.
Ben Bussey and Paul Spudis, The Clementine Atlas of the Moon, Cambridge University Press, 2004, ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
Antonín Rükl, Atlas of the Moon, Kalmbach Books, 1990, ISBN 0-913135-17-8.
Ewen A. Whitaker, Mapping and Naming the Moon, Cambridge University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-521-62248-4.

External links

[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.

[1] Moore, Patrick (1983). The Guinness book of astronomy facts and feats. Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 25. ISBN 0-85112-258-2.

[USGS-2] "Moon Mare/Maria". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. Retrieved 2010-08-20.

[telescop.htm-3] "Astronomica Langrenus" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2006-10-12. Retrieved 2006-12-05.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[a]

[b]

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