Mare Nubium

Mare Nubium
Mare Nubium
Coordinates	21°18′S 16°36′W / 21.3°S 16.6°W / -21.3; -16.6Coordinates: 21°18′S 16°36′W / 21.3°S 16.6°W / -21.3; -16.6
Diameter	715 km (444 mi)[1][2]
Eponym	Sea of Clouds

Mare Nubium ("sea of clouds") is a lunar mare in the Nubium basin on the Moon's near side. The mare is located just to the southeast of Oceanus Procellarum. The actual basin is believed to be of Pre-Nectarian system, with the surrounding basin material being of the Lower Imbrian epoch. The mare material is of the Upper Imbrian epoch. The crater to the west of the mare is Bullialdus,^[3] which is of the Eratosthenian Epoch. This means the crater is younger than the mare it sits in. The crater that sits on the southern rim of the mare is Pitatus. The first released images coming from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter were of the Mare Nubium.

References

1. ^ "Moon Mare/Maria". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/SearchResults?target=MOON&featureType=Mare%2C%20maria. Retrieved 2010-08-20. 
2. ^ "Mare Nubium". NASA Lunar Atlas. http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/science/atlas/mare/mnubium.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
3. ^ "Observatorio ARVAL - Moon Map". Observatorio ARVAL. http://www.oarval.org/MoonMapen.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-04.