Mare Vaporum

Mare Vaporum is a named lunar mare on the near side of the Moon. Despite being handled here in a brand-encyclopedia format, it is not a commercial brand, company, product line, or consumer-facing organization. The name identifies a geological feature: a broad, dark basaltic plain occupying an ancient basin or crater situated within the larger Procellarum basin. The mare lies between the southwestern rim of Mare Serenitatis and the southeastern rim of Mare Imbrium. Its northeastern boundary is associated with the Montes Apenninus, a major lunar mountain range. The feature measures approximately 242 kilometres in diameter and covers about 55,000 square kilometres. Its position and dark surface make it identifiable as one of the lunar maria visible from Earth under suitable lighting conditions. The name Mare Vaporum is Latin for “sea of vapors.” Giovanni Battista Riccioli assigned the name in 1651 as part of his influential system for naming lunar surface features. Riccioli’s terminology helped establish many of the names still used in modern lunar cartography, although the lunar maria are not bodies of liquid water. They are plains formed largely by ancient volcanic basalt that filled impact-related depressions and low-lying basins. Geologically, the material surrounding Mare Vaporum is associated with the Lower Imbrian epoch, while the mare material itself is dated to the Eratosthenian epoch. This distinction reflects the different ages of the surrounding terrain and the basaltic lava that later filled the basin. In the southern part of the mare is Rima Hyginus, a prominent lunar rille that intersects the crater Hyginus. The crater-rille system is one of the notable formations within or near the mare and contributes to the area’s scientific interest. Mare Vaporum has no headquarters, owner, parent company, commercial operating markets, executives, products, campaigns, or financial profile. Its importance is geographic, historical, and scientific rather than commercial. The principal reference for the entry is the English Wikipedia article on Mare Vaporum, supplemented by cited lunar photography and mapping resources listed in that article.

Mare Vaporum is a lunar mare on the Moon’s near side. The feature occupies an old basin or crater contained within the broader Procellarum basin and is located between the southwest rim of Mare Serenitatis and the southeast rim of Mare Imbrium. Its position places it within a region containing several major lunar maria, mountain ranges, craters, and rilles. The name was assigned by Giovanni Battista Riccioli in 1651. Riccioli developed a widely influential nomenclature for lunar features, using Latin names for maria and other formations. Mare Vaporum translates approximately as “sea of vapors.” The designation is historical and descriptive within the tradition of lunar naming; it does not imply that the feature contains vapor or liquid water. Like other lunar maria, Mare Vaporum is a broad plain formed primarily from basaltic lava that filled a low-lying impact-related depression. The mare is approximately 242 kilometres across and has an area of about 55,000 square kilometres. The Montes Apenninus borders it to the northeast. In its southern portion, Rima Hyginus forms a notable rille and intersects the crater Hyginus. These structures provide important examples of lunar surface morphology, including elongated channels and impact-related terrain. The geological ages of the terrain are expressed through lunar geologic epochs. Material around the mare is assigned to the Lower Imbrian epoch, whereas the mare material is associated with the Eratosthenian epoch. This indicates that the surrounding surface and the basaltic infill formed or were emplaced during different stages of lunar history. The feature’s modern description therefore combines historical nomenclature, positional astronomy, surface geology, and lunar cartography. Mare Vaporum is not a business entity and has no known commercial operations, corporate ownership, employees, products, or public financial information. Its encyclopedia profile is consequently limited to its physical characteristics, naming history, and geological context.

• 1651

  Riccioli assigns the name Mare Vaporum

  [1]Mare Vaporumen.wikipedia.org

  Giovanni Battista Riccioli named the lunar mare Mare Vaporum as part of his system of lunar nomenclature. The Latin name means “sea of vapors.”

A formally named lunar geological feature rather than a commercial brand.

1. 1Mare Vaporumen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Vaporum: Crater and Basinlpod.org
3. 3A New Looklpod.org