Sinus Iridum / ˈ s aɪ n ə s ˈ ɪr ɪ d ə m / ( Latin sinus īridum "Bay of Rainbows") is a plain of basaltic lava that forms a northwestern extension to the Mare Imbrium on Earth's moon . It is surrounded from the northeast to the southwest by the Montes Jura range. The protruding part of the range at the southwest end is named Promontorium Heraclides , while that at the northeast end is called Promontorium Laplace . This bay and the surrounding mountains is considered one of the most beautiful features on the Moon, and is a favorite among lunar observers.
5-424: Sinus Iridum is formed from the remains of a large impact crater, which was subsequently flooded with basaltic lava, inundating the "sea" wall. The bay itself does not contain any notable impact craters, but does include the satellite crater Heraclides E in the south, Laplace A along the eastern edge, and Bianchini G in the north. The surface is level, but is marked by a number of wrinkle ridges (dorsa). Sinus Iridum
10-604: Is one of the largest craters of Upper (Late) Imbrian age. The selenographic coordinates of the bay's center are 45.01° N, 31.67° W, and the diameter is 249 km. It was the planned landing site of Chang'e 3 , China's 2013 lunar exploration mission, which instead landed nearby in Mare Imbrium . When 10 to 11 days after new moon the Sinus Iridum is still in shadow, the Montes Jura can already be visible at
15-551: The lunar terminator . This geometry is also called Golden Handle . By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Promontorium Heraclides. The following satellite craters are associated with the Promontorium Laplace. Wrinkle ridge A wrinkle ridge is a type of feature commonly found on lunar maria , or basalt plains. These features are low, sinuous ridges formed on
20-1018: The Latin designation dorsum (plural dorsa ). The standard IAU nomenclature uses the names of people (generally scientists) to identify wrinkle ridges on the Moon. For example, the Dorsa Burnet are named for Thomas Burnet , and the Dorsum Owen is named after George Owen of Henllys . Wrinkle ridges can also be found on Mars , for example in Chryse Planitia , on several of the asteroids that have been visited by spacecraft, on Mercury , and certain moons of Jupiter and Saturn . Although several hypotheses have been advanced as causes of wrinkle ridges, today they are generally considered to be of tectonic origin. They involve folding and faulting . If correctly interpreted as thrust faults, where
25-441: The mare surface that can extend for up to several hundred kilometers. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features created after the lava cooled and solidified. They frequently outline ring structures buried within the mare, follow circular patterns outlining the mare, or intersect protruding peaks. They are sometimes called veins due to their resemblance to the veins that protrude from beneath the skin. Wrinkle ridges are named with
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