Mare Tranquillitatis
Encyclopedia
Mare Tranquillitatis is a lunar mare
that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon
. The mare material within the basin consists of basalt
formed 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 irregular margins and lacks a defined multiple-ringed structure. The irregular topography in and near this basin results from the intersection of the Tranquillitatis, Nectaris
, Crisium
, Fecunditatis
, and Serenitatis
basins with two throughgoing rings of the Procellarum
basin. Palus Somni
, on the northeastern rim of the mare, is filled with the basalt that spilled over from Tranquillitatis.
This Mare has a slight bluish tint relative to the rest of the moon and stands out quite well when color is processed and extracted from multiple photographs. The color is likely due to higher metal content in the basaltic soil or rocks.
spacecraft
crashed in Mare Tranquillitatis, after successfully transmitting 7,137 photographs of the Moon in the final 23 minutes of its mission.
This mare was also the landing site for first manned landing on the Moon. After making a smooth touchdown in the Apollo 11
Lunar Module
named Eagle, astronaut
Neil Armstrong told flight controller
s on Earth, "Houston, Tranquility Base
here. The Eagle has landed." The landing area at 0.8° N, 23.5° E has been designated Statio Tranquillitatis
after Armstrong's name for it, and three small craters to the north of the base have been named Aldrin
, Collins
, and Armstrong
in honor of the Apollo 11 crew.
, Sinus Asperitatis
,
Sinus Concordiae
, and Sinus Honoris
.
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. The mare material within the basin consists of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
formed in the intermediate to young age group of the Upper Imbrian
Upper Imbrian
In the Lunar geologic timescale, the Late Imbrian epoch occurred between 3800 million years ago to about 3200 million years ago. It was the epoch during which the mantle below the lunar basins partially melted and filled them with basalt...
epoch. The surrounding mountains are thought to be of the Lower Imbrian
Lower Imbrian
In the lunar geologic timescale, the Early Imbrian epoch occurred between 3850 million years ago to about 3800 million years ago. It overlaps the end of the Late Heavy Bombardment of the inner solar system. The impact which created the huge Mare Imbrium basin occurred at the start of the epoch...
epoch, but the actual basin is probably Pre-Nectarian
Pre-Nectarian
The Pre-Nectarian Period of the lunar geologic timescale runs from 4533 million years ago to 3920 million years ago, when the Nectaris Basin was formed by a large impact. It is followed by the Nectarian period...
. The basin has irregular margins and lacks a defined multiple-ringed structure. The irregular topography in and near this basin results from the intersection of the Tranquillitatis, Nectaris
Mare Nectaris
The Sea of Nectar is a small lunar mare or sea located between the Sea of Tranquillity and the Sea of Fecundity . Montes Pyrenaeus borders the mare to the west and the large crater near the south center of the mare is known as Rosse...
, Crisium
Mare Crisium
Mare Crisium is a lunar mare located in the Moon's Crisium basin, just northeast of Mare Tranquillitatis. This basin is of the Pre-Imbrian period, 4.55 to 3.85 billion years ago. This mare is in diameter, and 176,000 km2 in area. It has a very flat floor, with a ring of wrinkled ridges...
, Fecunditatis
Mare Fecunditatis
Mare Fecunditatis is a lunar mare which is 840 km in diameter. The Fecuditatis basin formed in the Pre-Nectarian epoch, while the basin material surrounding the mare is of the...
, and Serenitatis
Mare Serenitatis
Mare Serenitatis is a lunar mare that sits just to the east of Mare Imbrium on the Moon.It is located within the Serenitatis basin, which is of the Nectarian epoch. The material surrounding the mare is of the Lower Imbrian epoch, while the mare material is of the Upper Imbrian epoch...
basins with two throughgoing rings of the Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum
Oceanus Procellarum is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Earth's Moon. Its name derives from the old superstition that its appearance during the second quarter heralded bad weather...
basin. Palus Somni
Palus Somni
Palus Somni is an area on the Moon of relatively level but somewhat uneven terrain that lies along the northeastern edge of Mare Tranquillitatis and the Sinus Concordiae. It has selenographic coordinates 14.1° N, 45.0° E, and has a diameter of 143 km.The surface of this feature has low ridges and...
, on the northeastern rim of the mare, is filled with the basalt that spilled over from Tranquillitatis.
This Mare has a slight bluish tint relative to the rest of the moon and stands out quite well when color is processed and extracted from multiple photographs. The color is likely due to higher metal content in the basaltic soil or rocks.
Landings
In 1965, the Ranger 8Ranger 8
Ranger 8 was a spacecraft designed to achieve a lunar impact trajectory and to transmit high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface during the final minutes of flight up to impact. The spacecraft carried six television vidicon cameras, two wide angle and four narrow angle to accomplish these...
spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
crashed in Mare Tranquillitatis, after successfully transmitting 7,137 photographs of the Moon in the final 23 minutes of its mission.
This mare was also the landing site for first manned landing on the Moon. After making a smooth touchdown in the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
Lunar Module
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back...
named Eagle, astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
Neil Armstrong told flight controller
Flight controller
Flight controllers are personnel who aid in the operations of a space flight, working in Mission Control Centers such as NASA's Mission Control Center, or ESA's Operations Center. Flight controllers sit at computer consoles and use telemetry to monitor in real time various technical aspects of a...
s on Earth, "Houston, Tranquility Base
Tranquility Base
Tranquility Base was the name given by American astronaut Neil Armstrong to the landing site on the moon where the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle made the first moon landing....
here. The Eagle has landed." The landing area at 0.8° N, 23.5° E has been designated Statio Tranquillitatis
Tranquility Base
Tranquility Base was the name given by American astronaut Neil Armstrong to the landing site on the moon where the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle made the first moon landing....
after Armstrong's name for it, and three small craters to the north of the base have been named Aldrin
Aldrin (crater)
Aldrin is a tiny impact crater located on the southern part of the Mare Tranquillitatis, to the east of Sabine. It is located about 50 kilometers to the northwest of the Apollo 11 landing site. Named after Buzz Aldrin, the crater is the western-most of a row of three craters named in honor of the...
, Collins
Collins (crater)
Collins is a tiny lunar impact crater located on the southern part of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It is located about 25 kilometers to the north of the Apollo 11 landing site. Named after Michael Collins, the crater is the central member of the row of three craters named in honor of the Apollo 11...
, and Armstrong
Armstrong (crater)
Armstrong is a tiny lunar impact crater located in the southern part of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It lies about 50 kilometers to the northeast of the Apollo 11 landing site. Named after Neil Armstrong, the crater is the eastern-most of the row of three craters named in honor of the Apollo 11 crew...
in honor of the Apollo 11 crew.
Bays
Along the periphery of the mare are several bay-shaped features that have been given names: Sinus AmorisSinus Amoris
Sinus Amoris extends northward from the northeast end of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It is located at selenographic coordinates 18.1° N, 39.1° E, and lies within a diameter of 130 km. To the north of the bay are the jumbled Montes Taurus peaks.Near the southern end of the bay where it outlets...
, Sinus Asperitatis
Sinus Asperitatis
Sinus Asperitatis is an area of lunar mare that extends southward from the Mare Tranquillitatis until it joins the Mare Nectaris to the southeast. It is bordered along the western and eastern sides by continental regions of irregular terrain...
,
Sinus Concordiae
Sinus Concordiae
Sinus Concordiae is a bay on the Moon that lies along the eastern edge of the Mare Tranquillitatis. Along its northern border is an area called the Palus Somni, while the southern border is an area of irregular terrain that contains the ruined crater Da Vinci...
, and Sinus Honoris
Sinus Honoris
Sinus Honoris is located along the western edge of the Mare Tranquillitatis located on the surface of the near side of the moon. The selenographic coordinates of this feature are 11.7° N, 18.1° E, and it has a diameter of 109 km.Sinus Honoris has a wide mouth and is bordered by uneven terrain...
.
In the arts
- Mare Tranquillitatis is also the name of a composition of music by composer VangelisVangelisEvangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
on his 1976 album, Albedo 0.39Albedo 0.39Albedo 0.39 is an album by the artist Vangelis, released in 1976. It is a concept album around space and space physics.Albedo 0.39 was the second album produced by Vangelis in Nemo Studios, London, which was his creative base until the late 1980s...
and is in reference to the selenographicalSelenographySelenography is the study of the surface and physical features of the Moon. Historically, the principal concern of selenographists was the mapping and naming of the lunar maria, craters, mountain ranges, and other various features...
term. - Sea of Tranquillity is the title of a 1994 novel by Paul RussellPaul RussellPaul Russell may refer to:* Paul Russell , at the University of British Columbia* Rusty Russell , Australian Linux kernel hacker, whose real name is Paul Russell* Paul Russell , Major League Baseball player...
. - Sea of Tranquility is also a song by the progressive rock band Barclay James HarvestBarclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Saddleworth, Lancashire, in September 1966 by John Lees, Les Holroyd, Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme , and Mel Pritchard .-History:...
, included in their 1977 album Gone to EarthGone to Earth (Barclay James Harvest album)Gone To Earth is an album by the English rock group Barclay James Harvest released in 1977. It reached #30 in the UK charts, but in Germany it peaked at #10 and stayed for 197 weeks in the German album charts. It is on rank #6 of the longest running albums in the German album charts...
. The composition was written by the band keyboardist Stuart "Woolly" WolstenholmeWoolly WolstenholmeStuart John Wolstenholme, usually known as Woolly Wolstenholme was vocalist and keyboard player with the British progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest.-Biography:...
. - The DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
stoner rockStoner rockStoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
/space rockSpace rockSpace rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
band 350073500735007 is a band from the Netherlands. The sound of 35007 has elements of stoner rock, psychedelic rock, space rock and progressive rock.- History :...
released a 20012001 in musicSee also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
named Sea of Tranquility. - Howard KorderHoward KorderHoward Korder is an American screenwriter and playwright. He is the author of the 1988 coming-of-age play Boy's Life, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize for Drama nomination. His play Search and Destroy was adapted into a film in 1995. Among the screenplays he has written are The Passion of Ayn...
wrote a play called Sea of Tranquility. - The Brazilian rock band from the 80's RPMRPM (Brazilian band)RPM , is a Brazilian Pop Rock band. It was formed by singer/bassist Paulo Ricardo, keyboardist Luiz Schiavon, guitarist Fernando Deluqui and drummer Paulo Antônio "P.A." Pagni....
mentions the Sea of Tranquillity in their hit song Radio Pirata. - Dutch producer Maarten van der Vleuten/In-Existence released a song titled "Mare Tranquillitatis" on his album Vow Of Silence released on Tonefloat in 2005.
- Sea of Tranquillity is song by space ambient artist, John Stanford.
- Singer songwriter Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
(best known for his work with the rock band StyxStyx (band)Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
) is associated with a number of references to the Sea of Tranquility. Tranquility Base Songs is his publishing company. He called his farm Tranquility Base Farms. A number of his songs mention Tranquility Base or simply "tranquility." Examples include: Boat On The RiverBoat on the River"Boat on the River" is a 1980 song by Styx, from their album Cornerstone. It was released as a single, but did not chart in the band's native United States...
, "And all roads lead to Tranquility Base" (from the 1979 album Cornerstone), Everything Is CoolEverything Is Cool"Everything Is Cool" is the only single release from Styx's 1999 album Brave New World. It did not chart.This song is the longest on the album by five seconds. It is also one of the most complex. At the beginning, you hear chaos, along with samplings of earlier Styx songs I'm Gonna Make You Feel...
– "We are a Sea of Tranquillity" (from the 1999 album Brave New WorldBrave New World (Styx album)Brave New World is the thirteenth studio album by Styx, released in 1999. It is the last album with the band's original lead vocalist and keyboardist, Dennis DeYoung...
), and These Are the Times – "We know the end will bring tranquility" (from the 2003 album CycloramaCyclorama (album)Cyclorama is the fourteenth studio album by Styx, released in. This was the first studio album with Lawrence Gowan, following the departure of group co-founder Dennis DeYoung in 1999. It was also the only album released by the Lawrence Gowan/Tommy Shaw/James Young/Glen Burtnik/Todd Sucherman...
). - Six Finger SatelliteSix Finger SatelliteSix Finger Satellite are an American synthesizer-based post-hardcore band, based in Providence, Rhode Island.- History :The band formed in 1990 around a line-up of J. Ryan , John MacLean , Peter Phillips , Chris Dixon , and Rick Pelletier...
included a song named Sea of Tranquility, Parts 1 & 2 from their 1998 album Law of Ruins. - The Israeli psych-progressive rock band Jericho Jones recorded a song named "Mare Tranquilitatas" as the opening track of their UK album release (1971) "Junkies, Monkeys & Donkeys". The band is also known as The ChurchillsThe ChurchillsThe Churchills was an Israeli band founded in 1965, active until the mid-1970s. It was a part of the rhythm bands scene that were active in Israel in the 1970s, especially in Ramla. The band played rock music in English, from psychedelic rock to hard rock...
. - The Sea of Tranquility is the name of a graphic arts series.