What are Lunar Maria?
The lunar maria (singular: mare) are the dark spots on the Moon. Maria means “seas” in Latin, and the lunar maria have their name due to their ocean-like appearance in contrast to the lighter spots on the Moon. The lunar maria are not liquid, however, just a darker type of rock. The Moon is completely devoid of any moisture whatsoever. The first mission to land a man on the Moon, Apollo 11, landed in a minor lunar mare, the Sea of Tranquility, and the lower stage of the lunar module is still there today. The lunar maria were formed between 3.16 and 4.2 billion years ago, as measured by radiometric dating, though crater counting methods suggest that some portions may have formed as recently as 1.2 billion years ago. The lunar maria are flood basalts formed from huge ancient volcanic eruptions on the Moon, similar to eruptions that caused mass extinctions on the Earth 251 million years ago. Lunar maria primarily exist on the Moon’s near side. The far side, which cannot be viewed from the
– What are the lunar highlands like? – What is the range of size of lunar craters? – Are the maria older or younger than the highlands? How do you know? – Where are maria located on the Moon? Are they evenly distributed? – What is a synchronous orbit? – How is the rotation of Mercury most accurately measured? – What is Mercury’s spin-orbit resonance? – Why doesn’t Mercury have a synchronous orbit like the Moon does? – What are the hot longitudes? What are the warm longitudes? What is the approximate temperature of each? – At the poles of Mercury, where in the sky is the Sun always located? – Does Mercury have a moon? – Why do craters on the Moon last for billions of years, but craters on Earth fade? – Define “regolith” – Is there any volcanic or tectonic activity present on the Moon? Were they present in the past? – Why are crater walls on Mercury not as high as lunar crater walls? – What is the Caloris Basin? What is “weird” terrain? – What are scarps? How did they (most likely) form?
