Near Side of the Moon Labeled – Seas, Craters, Apollo 11

All 20 places on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: the largest seas 8

Ocean of Storms (Oceanus Procellarum) The largest dark plain of old lava, down the left side.
Sea of Showers (Mare Imbrium) The big round sea at the upper left of center.
Sea of Serenity (Mare Serenitatis) The round sea just right of the top center.
Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis) The wide sea right of center, where Apollo 11 landed.
Sea of Crises (Mare Crisium) The oval sea alone near the right edge, above the middle.
Sea of Fecundity (Mare Fecunditatis) The long sea near the right edge, below the middle.
Sea of Clouds (Mare Nubium) The sea below the center, toward the left.
Sea of Cold (Mare Frigoris) The long thin sea across the top.

All ten seas 2

Sea of Nectar (Mare Nectaris) The small round sea at the lower right, under Tranquility.
Sea of Moisture (Mare Humorum) The small round sea at the lower left.

Craters 7

Tycho A crater with long bright rays, named for Tycho Brahe.
Copernicus A rayed crater named for the astronomer Copernicus.
Kepler A crater named for Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer.
Aristarchus A crater named for Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer.
Plato A crater named for the Greek philosopher Plato.
Clavius A crater named for Christopher Clavius, a German mathematician.
Grimaldi A crater named for Francesco Maria Grimaldi, an Italian astronomer.

Mountains and a landing site 3

Montes Apenninus (lunar Apennines) A mountain range named after the Apennines on Earth.
Montes Alpes (lunar Alps) A mountain range named after the Alps on Earth.
Apollo 11 landing site Where people first landed on the Moon, in July 1969.

How this list was compiled: Every name, its meaning and its position checked on 2026-10-01. (1) International Astronomical Union, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, hosted by the US Geological Survey: the Moon center points file linked from https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/GIS_Downloads (each feature's approved name, the origin of the name, its center latitude and longitude, its extent and its diameter). (2) NASA Science, Moon Viewing Guide, https://science.nasa.gov/moon/viewing-guide/ (the dark areas are solidified lava, called lunar seas or maria; the craters Copernicus, Kepler, Aristarchus and Tycho and the rays of Copernicus and Tycho). (3) NASA Science, Moon Facts, https://science.nasa.gov/moon/facts/ (Tycho and Clavius). (4) NASA, Apollo 11, https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-11/ (the landing in July 1969; Tranquility Base). (5) Wikipedia: List of plains on the Moon, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plains_on_the_Moon; Lunar mare; Near side of the Moon; Plato (crater); Grimaldi (crater); Clavius (crater); Montes Apenninus; Montes Alpes; Tranquility Base. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01, each feature placed by its latitude and longitude in the IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature on an orthographic projection, with outlines simplified by hand. Own original drawing; no photograph or map is traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The near side of the Moon labeled, with north at the top, as the full Moon looks to the eye from northern latitudes. Start with the largest seas, then find the craters.

Read the full guide

Seas that hold no water

The gray patches you can see without a telescope are plains of solidified lava. They are called lunar seas, or maria, and each has a Latin name: Mare Tranquillitatis is the Sea of Tranquility. The largest is called an ocean, Oceanus Procellarum.

Craters and rays

Craters are named for scholars such as Tycho Brahe, Copernicus and Kepler. Tycho and Copernicus are ringed by bright rays, streaks of material thrown out by the impacts that made them. The star marks where Apollo 11 landed in July 1969.

Questions and answers

What are the dark patches on the near side of the Moon?

Plains of dark, solidified lava. Long ago lava filled the basins left by huge impacts and cooled into dark rock. They are called the lunar seas, or maria.

Where did Apollo 11 land?

In the southwestern corner of the Sea of Tranquility, just north of the Moon's equator. The International Astronomical Union lists the spot as Statio Tranquillitatis, or Tranquility Base.

Which craters can you see without a telescope?

With sharp eyesight you may pick out Copernicus, Kepler, Aristarchus and Tycho, NASA says, and perhaps the bright rays that spread from Copernicus and Tycho.

Is the Sea of Tranquility a real sea?

No. The lunar seas hold no water. They are flat plains of dark rock that looked like seas to early observers, and the old names have stayed.