Features on the Lunar Disc – GCSE Astronomy Edexcel Revision

The surface of the Moon, visible from Earth, is adorned with a variety of features including craters, mountains, highlands and maria.
Craters are circular depressions on the moon caused by impacts from meteoroids, asteroids and comets. Some famous craters include the Tycho, Copernicus, and Aristotle.
Mountains on the lunar surface can be found within the rims of large craters or formed by the cooling and contraction of lava near the lunar maria. The largest lunar mountain is Mount Huygens, located in the Apennine range.
The highlands, also known as the terrae, are lighter coloured and heavily cratered areas of the lunar surface. They are composed of anorthosite, which is a type of rock composed largely of a mineral called plagioclase feldspar.
The maria (Latin for “seas”) are dark, flat areas on the moon that have fewer craters compared to the highlands. These were formed by volcanic activity and are composed largely of basalt.

The major maria regions visible from Earth are Mare Imbrium, Mare Serenitatis, Mare Tranquillitatis, Oceanus Procellarum, and the Mare Frigoris among others.
Mare Imbrium, or the Sea of Showers, is one of the largest basins on the Moon formed by a giant impact and is surrounded by multiple mountain ranges such as the Apennine Mountains.
Mare Tranquillitatis, known as the Sea of Tranquillity, is the site of the first manned moon landing by Apollo 11 in 1969.
Mare Serenitatis, the Sea of Serenity, is located to the east of Mare Imbrium and is distinguished by the bright rim surrounding it.
Oceanus Procellarum is the largest of the lunar maria and is often called the Ocean of Storms. Unlike other maria, Oceanus Procellarum does not lie within a single well-determined impact basin.
Mare Frigoris, the Sea of Cold, is a narrow lunar mare that extends along the lunar northern hemisphere.

To identify features on the lunar disc, lunar maps developed by astronomers over centuries are used. These maps include names for the various lunar maria, craters, and mountain ranges.
Most of the names of features on the Moon are given in Latin, following tradition. Craters are typically named after deceased scientists, scholars, explorers and artists who made significant contributions to their respective fields.
Some lunar features are easier to spot when the lunar disc is not completely illuminated such as along the terminator - the moving line between the illuminated day side and the dark night side of the Moon.
The terminator is the best place to observe with a telescope as lunar features are more pronounced due to the long shadows that the Sun casts.