Vallis Alpes

The Alpine Valley, a spectacular straight valley cutting through the Montes Alpes mountain range.

Visual Description

Vallis Alpes appeared as a dramatic, nearly straight valley slicing directly through the Montes Alpes mountain range. The valley’s dark, flat floor contrasted sharply with the bright surrounding mountains. The feature was remarkably linear and uniform in width, creating one of the Moon’s most striking geological features.

Notable Features

• Spectacular straight valley 166 km long
• Cuts completely through Montes Alpes
• Nearly uniform width of about 10 km
• Dark, flat floor
• Contains a tiny central rille (challenging to see)

Notes

• Named the Alpine Valley
• Best observed 7-9 days after new moon
• One of the most dramatic lunar valleys
• Coordinates: 48.5°N, 3.2°E
• Likely formed by faulting or graben collapse