Mare Tranquillitatis

The Sea of Tranquility, site of humanity’s first lunar landing in 1969.

Visual Description

Mare Tranquillitatis appeared as a large, irregular dark area connecting Mare Serenitatis to the north and Mare Fecunditatis to the southeast. The mare floor showed subtle variations in tone, with some areas appearing slightly darker than others. The western edge is well-defined by bright highlands.

Notable Features

• Historic Apollo 11 landing site (July 20, 1969)
• Irregular shape with multiple embayments
• Connected to several other maria
• Contains several small craters including Sabine and Ritter

Notes

• Name means “Sea of Tranquility”
• Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first walked here
• Landing site at 0.67°N, 23.47°E (not visible without large telescope)
• Best observed 5-7 days after new moon
• Coordinates: 8.5°N, 31.4°E