Fra Mauro

A large, heavily degraded crater that gives its name to the Fra Mauro Formation and the Apollo 14 landing region.

Visual Description

Fra Mauro appeared as a large, ancient crater with heavily worn walls that were barely distinguishable from the surrounding highland terrain. The crater was so degraded that its outline was difficult to trace, blending into the Fra Mauro Formation—the blanket of ejecta from the ancient Imbrium impact. This region, rich in impact debris, was chosen as the landing site for Apollo 14 in 1971. The degraded state demonstrated the great age of this feature.

Notable Features

• Large, heavily degraded crater
• Barely distinguishable walls
• Gives name to Fra Mauro Formation
• Apollo 14 landing region
• Very ancient formation

Notes

• Named after Italian monk and mapmaker
• Apollo 14 landed in Fra Mauro highlands (1971)
• Best observed 9-10 days after new moon
• Coordinates: 6.1°S, 17.0°W
• Historic significance for lunar exploration