From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sea of Tranquility of the Moon.

Mare Tranquillitatis (Latin for Sea of Tranquility) is a lunar mare that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on Earth's moon. 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 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.

In 1965, the Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed in Mare Tranquillitatis, after successfully transmitting 7,137 photographs of the moon in the final 23 minutes of its mission. This mare also served as the landing site for the Apollo 11 lunar module, the first manned landing on the Moon. The landing area at 0.8° N, 23.5° E has been designated Statio Tranquillitatis, and three small craters to the north of the base have been named Aldrin, Collins, and Armstrong in honor of the Apollo 11 astronauts.

Map of Mare Tranquillitatis, showing the landing sites of Apollo 11, Apollo 17, Apollo 16, and Surveyor 5. To the southeast is Mare Fecunditatis, to the northeast is Mare Crisium, to the northwest is Mare Serenitatis, and to the south is Mare Nectaris.

Along the periphery of the mare are several bay-shaped features that have been given names: Sinus Amoris, Sinus Asperitatis, Sinus Concordiae, and Sinus Honoris.

Mare tranquilitatis is also the name of a composition of music by composer Vangelis on his 1976 album, Albedo 0.39 and is in reference to the selenographical term.

Sea Of Tranquility is the name of the final track on the 1994 album Embedded by industrial death metal band Meathook Seed.

Sea Of Tranquility is also a song by the progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest, included in their 1977 album Gone To Earth. The composition was written by the band keyboardist Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme.

The Dutch stoner rock/space rock band 35007 released a 2001 EP named "Sea Of Tranquility."

• Wood, Chuck (2006-08-10). Is it Love or a Sinus Infection? (English). Lunar Photo of the Day. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.