Mare Nubium (Moon)
Data as of 2026-10-23
What it is
- Type
- Mare, maria
- IAU definition
“Sea”; on the Moon, low albedo, relatively smooth plain, generally of large extent; on Mars, dark albedo areas of no known geological significance; on Titan, large expanses of dark materials thought to be liquid hydrocarbons
- Diameter
- 714.5 km, 41 % of the radius of its body
- Centre
- 20.59° S, 342.71° east (planetocentric latitude, east longitude from 0 to 360°, the IAU convention)
- Name adopted
- 1935
- Origin of the name
"Sea of Clouds."
Quoted in English, as the IAU publishes it.
In Galaxy
Opens its body in the application, the camera turned towards Mare Nubium.
Observed by
Instruments whose footprint touches this formation, counted by the PDS Orbital Data Explorer (data frozen on September 29, 2026). A footprint that touches it is not a study of it.
| Mission and instrument | Products | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunar Orbiter · 24 Inch Focal Length Camera | 30 | May 18, 1967 | May 20, 1967 |
| Clementine · Ultraviolet/Visible Camera | 7,049 | February 28, 1994 | April 26, 1994 |
| Clementine · High Resolution Camera | 5,504 | February 28, 1994 | April 26, 1994 |
| Clementine · Near Infrared Camera | 4,032 | February 28, 1994 | April 26, 1994 |
| Clementine · Long Wavelength Infrared Camera | 2,810 | February 28, 1994 | April 26, 1994 |
| Clementine · Radio Science Subsystem | 59 | April 9, 1994 | April 9, 1994 |
| Arecibo Observatory/National Radio Astronomy Observatory · Earth-based Arecibo Radio Telescope/Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope | 63 | February 18, 2005 | May 13, 2013 |
| JAXA SELENE/KAGUYA Main Orbiter · Lunar Radar Sounder | 1,365 | November 21, 2007 | September 5, 2008 |
| JAXA SELENE/KAGUYA Main Orbiter · Terrain Camera | 7,866 | December 19, 2007 | June 5, 2009 |
| JAXA SELENE/KAGUYA Main Orbiter · Laser Altimeter | 28 | January 1, 2008 | September 17, 2008 |
| JAXA SELENE/KAGUYA Main Orbiter · Multiband Imager | 12,426 | March 23, 2008 | October 16, 2008 |
| JAXA SELENE/KAGUYA Main Orbiter · High Definition Television | 11,403 | May 17, 2008 | June 5, 2009 |
| ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 · Moon Mineralogy Mapper | 178 | January 10, 2009 | June 11, 2009 |
| Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter · Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera | 38,861 | June 30, 2009 | June 13, 2026 |
| Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter · DIVINER Lunar Radiometer Experiment | 16,276 | July 5, 2009 | June 13, 2026 |
| Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter · Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter | 3,269 | July 13, 2009 | August 14, 2021 |
| Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter · MINI-RF LRO | 845 | November 14, 2009 | September 28, 2025 |
| Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter · Shadow Camera | 229 | February 20, 2023 | September 3, 2024 |
Sources
International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, read on October 23, 2026. Feature page: https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3684
Type definitions: IAU Descriptor Terms, read on October 17, 2026. https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms