{"id":21538,"date":"2021-08-06T08:29:45","date_gmt":"2021-08-06T08:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=99069"},"modified":"2021-08-06T09:01:08","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T09:01:08","slug":"a-guide-to-the-moons-mare-frigoris","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/a-guide-to-the-moons-mare-frigoris\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to the Moon\u2019s Mare Frigoris"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Lee Dyson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 06 August 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The airless Moon tends to conjure a rather cold, inhospitable image. It\u2019s true that the Moon is physically cold when its surface is enshrouded by the dark of a lunar night: at such times the surface temperature drops to around \u2013153<\/span>\u00ba<\/span>C. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, during the day the surface temperature can rise to over 100<\/span>\u00ba<\/span>C, so the image of a frigid world is perhaps inappropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite this, the Mare Frigoris manages to hold onto the image pretty well \u2013 the name literally means \u2018Sea of Cold\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more info on lunar observing, read our guides on how to observe the Moon<\/a> and the best features on the Moon<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\""Mare\"<\/div>
Mare Frigoris is, unusually for a lunar mare, long and thin \u2013 this is the central and eastern section, with the Lunar Alps below it to the south. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This long, thin lunar sea stretches east to west along the northern part of the Moon\u2019s disc for 1,400km.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contrast this with its average width of 250km; while most of the major lunar maria<\/a> or seas appear circular or elliptical, this one is a clear exception.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Facts about\u00a0Mare Frigoris<\/strong><\/h1>\n