Sea / bay

Mare Frigoris

The Sea of Cold is an elongated dark belt across the northern near side. It links several useful northern landmarks.

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Mare Frigoris and surrounding lunar terrain in the LROC Wide Angle Camera mosaic
Mare Frigoris · North up, east right. Open image ↗
NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University · LROC WAC mosaic via USGS. Regional map crop; lighting is fixed and does not follow the selected date.
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How to observe Mare Frigoris

Trace the narrow band above Plato toward Aristoteles. Its high latitude makes perspective important.

Finding the region

Look at 57.59° N, 0.01° W on the lunar disc. The chart marker identifies the catalogue centre. Start with a wide field and use the nearby formations below as landmarks.

Equipment & conditions

These dark plains are a good starting point with binoculars. Trace their shapes at low power, then examine the boundary with the brighter highlands. Higher sunlight helps reveal brightness differences; low sunlight brings out ridges.

Lighting

For surface relief, try a time when the Sun is low over this region. To compare surface brightness and any bright rays, return under higher illumination. The atlas calculates the solar elevation at the formation’s centre for any selected date.

View Mare Frigoris in the atlas →

IAU / USGS Gazetteer

Official feature record

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Approved name
Mare Frigoris
Feature classification
Mare, maria
Catalogue dimension / extent
1,446.41 km
Centre latitude
57.59° N
Centre longitude
0.01° W
Name origin (Gazetteer)
"Sea of Cold."

Selenographic coordinates · East-positive longitude · Catalogue extent · Updated 2026-09-16

Nearby formations

LROC photograph of PlatoImpact crater

Plato

A dark-floored crater along the northern edge of Mare Imbrium. Its smooth interior contrasts with the surrounding rugged terrain.

LROC photograph of Vallis AlpesValley / rille / scarp

Vallis Alpes

The Alpine Valley cuts through Montes Alpes near the northeastern edge of Mare Imbrium. The main valley is much easier to detect than the narrow channel within it.

LROC photograph of Montes AlpesMountain range

Montes Alpes

A mountainous region along the northeastern border of Mare Imbrium. Vallis Alpes cuts a distinctive path through this terrain.

LROC photograph of AristotelesImpact crater

Aristoteles

A substantial northern crater near the eastern end of Mare Frigoris. Together with Eudoxus it forms an easily recognisable pair.