Mare Serenitatis

The Sea of Serenity is one of the most prominent and beautiful maria on the Moon’s near side.

Object Type: Lunar Mare (Sea)

Size: 707 km diameter

Location: Chattanooga, TN (35.15°N, 85.32°W)

Equipment: Telescope (750/150mm)

Visual Description

Mare Serenitatis appeared as a large, roughly circular dark area with a smooth floor. The mare has well-defined borders and shows subtle color variations across its surface. The eastern edge features the distinctive Serpentine Ridge, a prominent wrinkle ridge system.

Notable Features

  • Nearly circular shape, approximately 700 km across
  • Smooth, relatively uniform dark surface
  • Bordered by the Montes Caucasus and Montes Haemus mountain ranges
  • Contains several small craters including Bessel
  • Famous Serpentine Ridge wrinkle ridge system

Notes

  • Name means “Sea of Serenity”
  • Luna 21 and Lunokhod 2 landed here in 1973
  • Best observed 5-7 days after new moon
  • Look for the prominent wrinkle ridges
  • Coordinates: 28.0°N, 17.5°E