.png) LRO mosaic of Mare Undarum | |
| Coordinates | 7°29′N68°40′E / 7.49°N 68.66°E /7.49; 68.66[1] |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 244.84 km[1] |
| Eponym | Sea of Waves |
Mare Undarum/ʌnˈdɛərəm/ (Latinundārum, the "sea of waves") is a shallow, irregularlunar mare located just north ofMare Spumans on the lunar near side, between the craterFirmicus and the eastern limb. It lies within a trough between the third and fourth raised rings formed by the impact that created theMare Crisium.[2] The selenographiccoordinates of this mare are 7.5° N, 68.7° E. It has a maximum diameter of 245 km.[1]
There are five knownlunar domes within the mare.[3] The surrounding basin material is of theNectarianepoch, with the marebasalt being of theUpper Imbrian epoch. The craterDubyago can be seen on the southern edge of the mare. On the northeastern edge of the mare is the crater Condorcet P.
WhenMädler observed this area in the 1830s, he noted variations in the curved dark streaks that form this mare, leading him to speculate that the changes were caused by vegetation.
Mare Undarum was the location of the second catapult inRobert A. Heinlein's novelThe Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. The exact location of the catapult was kept secret and was "A matter of Lunar national security."
