Moon

Major Lunar Landmarks

Eight major lunar landmarks — the ones with the strongest scientific, historical, and geological significance.

1. Apollo 11 Landing Site — Mare Tranquillitatis

The first human landing point (1969). Located on a basaltic plain formed 3.5 billion years ago, the region was chosen because the lava flows created a low-slope, low-boulder surface. The basalt here is rich in titanium, giving it a slightly bluish spectral signature. The landing site lies near the boundary of two major lava flow units, making it a valuable sampling area for understanding early lunar volcanism.

2. Tycho Crater

A young, energetic impact site (~108 million years old), easily recognized by its massive ray system that spans over 1,000 km. The crater’s central peak is about 1.6 km high and exposes deep lunar crust material. Tycho’s rays are among the Moon’s brightest because the ejecta is still relatively fresh, unweathered by micrometeorite bombardment.

3. Copernicus Crater

A textbook example of a large, complex impact crater: terraced walls, a triple-peak central uplift, and an extensive ray system. Copernicus sits atop ancient mare basalts, and its impact excavated material from multiple depths. It’s a major stratigraphic marker — the “Copernican age” names the youngest lunar geologic period.

4. Aristarchus Crater & Plateau

Aristarchus is one of the brightest features on the Moon because it is exceptionally young (~450 million years) and the ejecta hasn’t darkened. It sits on the Aristarchus Plateau, one of the Moon’s most geologically diverse regions — pyroclastic deposits, volcanic rilles like Vallis Schröteri, and suspected ancient lava tubes. This area is a high-priority site for future exploration.

5. Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains)

One of the largest impact basins in the Solar System (~1,100 km wide), later flooded with enormous volumes of basaltic lava. The Imbrium impact shaped much of the Moon’s near-side crust — the Apennine, Caucasus, and Alps mountain ranges all formed by the basin’s rim uplift. The basin’s lava flows contain compositional gradients used to date lunar volcanism.

6. Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms)

The only feature named “Ocean” because of its vast, irregular shape. Unlike the round basins, Procellarum may not originate from a single impact — it might be tied to ancient thermal and tectonic stresses in the Moon’s early crust. It hosts multiple historic landings (Luna 9, Surveyor 3, Chang’e 5) and is chemically distinct from the eastern maria.

7. Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity)

A major mare basin with a striking compositional boundary visible even in small telescopes. Serenitatis shows high-titanium basalt flows on its eastern side and lower-titanium flows elsewhere. The mare’s interior features wrinkle ridges, lava flow fronts, and mare “swirls,” revealing the Moon’s prolonged volcanic activity.

8. Langrenus Crater

A large crater on the eastern limb with sharp terraced walls and prominent central peaks. Langrenus is scientifically useful because its limb location gives it high-angle illumination near lunar sunrise, revealing subtle topography. Its ejecta blanket overlays both mare and highland terrain, helping geologists determine the relative ages of surrounding surfaces.