Mountain range

Montes Alpes

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

Open in Moon atlas ↗
Planner 0
Local horizon & screen options

Buildings & trees

Save your local skyline. North is 0°, east 90°, south 180°, west 270°. The height is degrees above the flat horizon.

Choose an observing location to save its horizon.

Screen

Dim the screen as well as using red mode. Your browser may release the screen lock when the app is hidden or battery is low.

Screen wake lock is unavailable in this browser.

Planner (0) →
Montes Alpes and surrounding lunar terrain in the LROC Wide Angle Camera mosaic
Montes Alpes · 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.
Show location on the Moon
1.0×
EARTH-FACING HEMISPHERE

Preparing the lunar surface…

NSWESelect a formation · zoom to explore

North up · Change date in atlas ↗

How to observe Montes Alpes

Find Plato and Cassini to orient yourself, then search between them for the Alpine Valley.

Finding the region

Look at 48.36° N, 0.58° 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

Follow the chain at moderate magnification. When the Sun is low above the lunar surface, mountain shadows emphasise the relief. Apparent height and contrast change quickly as the terminator moves.

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 Montes Alpes in the atlas →

IAU / USGS Gazetteer

Official feature record

View original record ↗
Approved name
Montes Alpes
Feature classification
Mons, montes
Catalogue dimension / extent
334.48 km
Centre latitude
48.36° N
Centre longitude
0.58° W
Name origin (Gazetteer)
Named from terrestrial Alps.

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

Nearby formations

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.

155.4 kmRead guide ↗
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.

100.7 kmRead guide ↗
LROC photograph of CassiniImpact crater

Cassini

A crater in the northeastern part of Mare Imbrium, close to the Alpine region. Smaller craters inside help distinguish it from nearby formations.

56.9 kmRead guide ↗
LROC photograph of Mare FrigorisSea / bay

Mare Frigoris

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

1,446.4 kmRead guide ↗