Selenography
Selenography is the study and mapping of the Moon’s surface features, including craters, mountains, valleys, and maria.
Lunar coordinate system: A system of latitude and longitude used to specify positions on the Moon. It supplies the coordinates used to locate and compare lunar features.
Lunar cartography: The production of maps depicting the Moon’s surface and geographic features. It converts selenographic observations into mapped representations.
Galileo Galilei: An Italian astronomer who made early telescopic observations of the Moon’s rugged surface. His observations helped establish that lunar features include mountains and craters.
Apollo program: The NASA human spaceflight program that landed astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. Apollo missions depended on lunar maps to select and reach landing regions.
Lunar astronomy: The study of the Moon as an astronomical body, including its orbit, phases, and physical properties. Selenography focuses on surface features rather than the Moon’s full astronomical behavior.
Lunar maria: Large, dark basaltic plains on the Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. These broad plains are among the most prominent mapped lunar regions.
Lunar image registration: The alignment of lunar images so that corresponding surface locations overlap. Aligned images let observers combine views taken at different times or angles.
Johannes Hevelius: A Polish astronomer who published an influential seventeenth-century map of the Moon. His detailed lunar charts helped shape early naming and mapping practices.
Lunar landing site selection: The evaluation of lunar locations for safe landings and valuable scientific exploration. Mapping reveals slopes, hazards, and geological targets relevant to landing decisions.
Lunar geology: The study of the Moon’s materials, structure, history, and geological processes. Geology explains surface origins, while selenography emphasizes describing and mapping them.