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Credit & Copyright: Nyördson Ferreira
Explanation:
The Seas of Tranquility
and Serenity are calm today.
They're calm most every day though, since they are actually
lunar maria,
ancient lava flows filling in large impact
basins on the Moon.
Also known by Latin names Mare Tranquillitatis (right)
and Mare Serenitatis, the smooth dark lunar "seas" are
in stark contrast to the
bright cratered lunar highlands surrounding them in
this telescopic view.
Of course their names are based on the historical,
pre-telescopic
designations of lunar maria.
Easily visible to the unaided eye,
the broad features on the Moon's near side were imagined to be like the
expansive oceans of planet Earth.
On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle touched down on the Mare
Tranquillitatis (at lower right), establishing
Tranquility base and the first
human presence
on the Moon.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day