Mare Tranquillitatis
Also known as: Sea of Tranquility · Sea of Tranquillity
- 1Mare Tranquillitatis is a lunar mare situated within the Tranquillitatis basin.
- 2It serves as the location of Tranquility Base.
- 3It was the first site on a celestial body other than Earth to be visited by humans.
- 4The region is characterized by its basaltic plains formed by ancient volcanic activity.
Mare Tranquillitatis is a lunar mare that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon.
Connections10
site of the first crewed lunar landing
The Apollo 11 Lunar Module, named Eagle, landed within Mare Tranquillitatis on July 20, 1969, marking the first human contact with the lunar surface.
geological classification of the feature
Mare Tranquillitatis is a prime example of a lunar mare, which are vast, dark, basaltic plains formed by ancient volcanic eruptions on the Moon.
second human to walk on the mare
Buzz Aldrin accompanied Neil Armstrong to the surface of Mare Tranquillitatis, conducting experiments and collecting samples during the Apollo 11 mission.
first human to walk on the mare
As the commander of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong was the first person to step onto the surface of Mare Tranquillitatis.
vehicle that landed on the mare
The Apollo Lunar Module was the specific spacecraft design used to transport astronauts to the surface of Mare Tranquillitatis.
location of the first human lunar landing
Mare Tranquillitatis was the specific landing site for the Apollo 11 mission, chosen for its relatively flat and safe terrain.
precursor mission that photographed the site
In 1965, this robotic probe successfully impacted the Moon within Mare Tranquillitatis, providing critical close-up photographs to scout potential landing sites for Apollo.
adjacent lunar mare feature
Located to the north of Mare Tranquillitatis, this mare is separated by highland terrain and provides context for the regional volcanic history of the Moon's near side.
modern source of high-resolution imagery
This NASA spacecraft has provided detailed mapping and imagery of the Apollo 11 landing site within Mare Tranquillitatis, confirming the location of the descent stage.
primary geological composition of the mare
The dark appearance of Mare Tranquillitatis is due to its composition of iron-rich basaltic lava flows that filled the basin billions of years ago.
Mare Tranquillitatis is a lunar mare that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon. It contains Tranquility Base, the first location on another celestial body to be visited by humans.
The Lunar nearside with major maria and craters. Mare Tranquillitatis is in the upper-right quadrantWikimedia CommonsThe Apollo 11 landing site at center, facing west, with the 22-kilometer-wide Maskelyne crater in right foregroundWikimedia Commons; NASA Apollo 11 team; NASA (repro from slide); Public domain; Wikimedia Commons: Category:Mare TranquillitatisThe Moon with Mare Tranquillitatis highlighted and the first crewed lunar landing markedWikimedia CommonsThree views of Mare Tranquillitatis, taken by the mapping camera of the 1972 Apollo 17 missionWikimedia CommonsThis outstanding view of a near full moon was photographed from the Apollo 13 spacecraft during its trans-Earth journey homeward. Though the explosion of the oxygen tank in the Service Module (SM) forced the cancellation of the scheduled lunar landing, Apollo 13 made a pass around the moon prior to returning to Earth....Wikimedia Commons; NASA; http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo13/html/as13-60-8703.html ( direct link ); Public domain; Wikimedia Commons: Category:Mare Tranquillitatisen:Mare Tranquillitatis sits within the Tranquillitatis basin. The mare material within the basin consists of basalt in the intermediate to young age group of the Upper Imbrian epoch. The surrounding mountains are thought to be of the Lower Imbrian epoch, but the actual basin is probably Pre-Nectarian. The basin has i...Wikimedia Commons; http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/science/atlas/mare/mtranquillitatis.htm; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P18 (image) 139 words