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Mare Tranquillitatis ("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.
Map of Mare Tranquillitatis, showing the landing sites of Apollo 11, Apollo 17, Apollo 16Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fifth mission to land on the moon. Crew John Young (4), commander Ken Mattingly (1), command module pilot Charles Duke (1), lunar module pilot Mission Parameters Mass Launch mass: 2,921,, and Surveyor 5Surveyor 5 was the fifth lunar lander of the Surveyor program that explored the Moon. Launched September 3, 1967; landed September 11, 1967 Weight on landing: 625 lb (283 kg) Surveyor 5 landed on Mare Tranquillitatis. A total of 19,049 images were transmi. 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. This mare served as the landing site for Apollo 11, the first manned landing on the Moon.
Tranquillitatis