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Lunar mare facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Full Moon Luc Viatour
The darker areas in this picture are called Maria

Have you ever looked at the Moon and seen dark patches? These dark areas are called mare (say "MAH-ray"). The word "mare" means "sea" in Latin. If there are many of them, they are called maria (say "MAH-ree-ah").

Ancient astronomers thought these dark plains were actual seas and oceans on the Moon. But they are not water! These huge, flat areas were formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They are made of a type of rock that contains a lot of iron. Because of this, they reflect less sunlight than the brighter, higher parts of the Moon. This is why they look dark to our eyes.

The maria cover about 16% of the Moon's surface. Most of them are on the side of the Moon that we can always see from Earth.

First Moon Landing

Moon names
Nearside of the moon with with major maria and craters labeled

One famous lunar mare is called Mare Tranquillitatis. This "Sea of Tranquility" was the landing spot for the first people to ever walk on the Moon!

On July 20, 1969, at 8:18 PM UTC, the Apollo 11 spacecraft landed there. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out onto the Moon's surface. The exact spot where they landed is at 0°40′27″N 23°28′23″E / 00.67408°N 23.47297°E / 00.67408; 23.47297 (Apollo 11 landing site). This was a huge moment in human history!

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mar lunar para niños

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