Impact craterAlpetragius
A smaller crater west of the Alphonsus–Arzachel region. Its unusually prominent central feature gives it a distinctive appearance.
Moon atlas
Find lunar craters, seas and mountain ranges. Select a date to see their illumination, or open a formation for photographs, coordinates and observing notes.
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Formations with sunlight 0–12° above the surface at the selected time.
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Lunar formations
49 formations with photographs, official coordinates and observing notes.
49 formations · filters also apply to map markers
Impact crater
Impact craterAlphonsus
The middle crater of the Ptolemaeus–Alphonsus–Arzachel chain. Its floor and modest central peak contrast with the neighbouring formations.
Impact craterArchimedes
A broad, dark-floored crater within Mare Imbrium. The relatively smooth interior is a useful contrast to nearby mountain ranges and smaller impact craters.
Impact craterAristarchus
A bright crater beside the darker Aristarchus plateau in Oceanus Procellarum. Vallis Schroteri winds across the neighbouring plateau.
Impact craterAristoteles
A substantial northern crater near the eastern end of Mare Frigoris. Together with Eudoxus it forms an easily recognisable pair.
Impact craterArzachel
The southern crater of a recognisable central chain with Ptolemaeus and Alphonsus. It has a central peak and clearly defined inner walls.
Impact craterAtlas
A northern crater east of Hercules. Rilles cross its uneven floor; resolving them requires steady air.
Impact craterBailly
A vast, battered formation near the southwestern limb. Foreshortening makes the interior much harder to inspect than the catalogue size might suggest.
Impact craterCassini
A crater in the northeastern part of Mare Imbrium, close to the Alpine region. Smaller craters inside help distinguish it from nearby formations.
Impact craterCatharina
The southern member of a conspicuous three-crater group west of Mare Nectaris. Its irregular interior offers a contrast to nearby Theophilus.
Impact craterClavius
A large southern crater containing a distinctive curved sequence of smaller craters. The largest interior craters are visible well before the smaller craterlets.
Impact craterCopernicus
A prominent impact crater south of Mare Imbrium. It has terraced inner walls, central peaks and a broad field of ejecta.
Impact craterCyrillus
A worn crater beside Mare Nectaris, partly overlapped by Theophilus. The adjoining rims illustrate how later impacts reshape older terrain.
Impact craterEndymion
A dark-floored crater close to the northeastern limb. Perspective compresses its outline into an oval.
Impact craterEratosthenes
A sharply defined crater at the southwestern end of Montes Apenninus. It provides a useful landmark between the mountain chain and the plains farther west.
Impact craterEudoxus
A northern highland crater immediately south of Aristoteles. Its terraced walls enclose an uneven floor.
Impact craterGassendi
A large crater on the northern edge of Mare Humorum. Its floor contains central peaks and a network of fractures.
Impact craterGrimaldi
A conspicuously dark enclosed plain near the western limb. Its strong contrast makes it a useful landmark even when fine relief is difficult to see.
Impact craterHercules
A northern crater paired with Atlas. Their proximity makes them a useful comparison target during the same observing session.
Impact craterKepler
An isolated ray crater in the western maria, smaller than Copernicus but easy to locate by its bright surroundings.
Impact craterLangrenus
A conspicuous crater along the eastern edge of Mare Fecunditatis. The dark mare forms a helpful background for locating the brighter crater.
Sea / bayMare Crisium
The Sea of Crises is a distinct dark plain near the eastern limb, separated from the main network of maria.
Sea / bayMare Fecunditatis
The Sea of Fertility occupies part of the southeastern near side. Its dark surface helps outline craters along the edge.
Sea / bayMare Frigoris
The Sea of Cold is an elongated dark belt across the northern near side. It links several useful northern landmarks.
Sea / bayMare Humorum
The Sea of Moisture is a rounded dark plain in the southwestern near side. Gassendi marks its northern edge.
Sea / bayMare Imbrium
The Sea of Rains is a large lava plain in the northwestern near side. Mountain arcs and prominent craters provide numerous landmarks around its margins.
Sea / bayMare Nectaris
The Sea of Nectar is a compact dark plain southeast of the main central maria. The adjoining highlands contain a striking chain of large craters.
Sea / bayMare Nubium
The Sea of Clouds is an irregular dark region south of the lunar equator. Partly buried formations and neighbouring highlands make its borders varied.
Sea / bayMare Serenitatis
The Sea of Serenity is a rounded dark plain in the northern near side. Its shape is easy to recognise among the connected lunar maria.
Sea / bayMare Tranquillitatis
The Sea of Tranquility is an irregular dark plain in the eastern near side, known as the region of the Apollo 11 landing.
Mountain rangeMontes Alpes
A mountainous region along the northeastern border of Mare Imbrium. Vallis Alpes cuts a distinctive path through this terrain.
Mountain rangeMontes Apenninus
A mountain arc bordering southeastern Mare Imbrium. Its ridges and peaks cast long shadows across the adjacent plain under low sunlight.
Mountain rangeMontes Caucasus
A mountain group between Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis. It forms a useful bridge between two major lunar plains.
Mountain rangeMontes Jura
The curved mountain border of Sinus Iridum. Its arc is a conspicuous outline along the northwestern edge of Mare Imbrium.
Sea / bayOceanus Procellarum
The Ocean of Storms is an extensive dark region across the western near side. Unlike the compact circular maria, it has a broad irregular outline.
Impact craterPetavius
A large crater near the southeastern limb with a prominent central mountain complex. Its position makes its appearance sensitive to viewing geometry.
Impact craterPlato
A dark-floored crater along the northern edge of Mare Imbrium. Its smooth interior contrasts with the surrounding rugged terrain.
Impact craterPosidonius
A large crater on the northeastern margin of Mare Serenitatis. Its fractured floor is easier to distinguish under low sunlight.
Impact craterPtolemaeus
A large, relatively smooth-floored crater near the centre of the visible lunar disc. Its broad outline is a useful landmark in the central highlands.
Valley / rille / scarpRima Hyginus
A narrow linear feature crossing the small crater Hyginus near the centre of the near side. It is a more demanding target than the broad maria.
Valley / rille / scarpRupes Recta
The Straight Wall is a linear scarp in Mare Nubium. Its appearance depends strongly on the direction and height of the sunlight.
Impact craterSchickard
A broad walled plain in the southwestern lunar highlands. Different parts of its floor have noticeably different surface brightness.
Impact craterSchiller
A markedly elongated crater in the southwestern highlands. Its shape stands out among the more rounded neighbouring formations.
Impact craterSchroter
A worn crater in the central near-side region, north of the Sinus Medii area. It is a subtler target than the major bright ray craters.
Sea / baySinus Iridum
The Bay of Rainbows is a curved embayment on the northwestern edge of Mare Imbrium, bordered by Montes Jura.
Impact craterTheophilus
The northern member of the Theophilus–Cyrillus–Catharina group beside Mare Nectaris. Its prominent central mountains contrast with its older-looking neighbours.
Impact craterTycho
A crater in the southern highlands surrounded by bright impact rays. Its rim, central peak and terraced walls stand out against the older, densely cratered terrain.
Valley / rille / scarpVallis 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.
Valley / rille / scarpVallis Schroteri
A winding valley on the Aristarchus plateau. Its shape contrasts with the straight fractures and impact features elsewhere on the Moon.