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| Coordinates | 54°00′N56°36′W / 54.0°N 56.6°W /54.0; -56.6 |
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| Diameter | 202 km |
| Eponym | Bay of Dew |
Sinus Roris/ˈsaɪnəsˈrɔːrɪs/ (Latinsinus rōris "Bay of Dew") is a dark, basaltic plain on the near side of theMoon that forms an extension of the northern edge ofOceanus Procellarum.[1] TheIAU-definedselenographic coordinates of this bay are 54.0° N, 56.6° W, and the diameter is 202 km.[2]
Following traditional nomenclature for the Moon, this feature was named sinus (bay) because of its small size, but it possesses many of the same characteristics as a lunar mare (sea). Like other maria (including Oceanus Procellarum), it is a dark, basaltic area on the near side of the Moon believed to be formed by impact craters that later filled with magma, which then hardened into smooth, dark plains.[3]
The borders of this feature are somewhat indistinct. The bay proper is framed along the western edge by the cratersMarkov andOenopides, and to the north byBabbage andSouth. At the eastern edge it joins theMare Frigoris.
Manyselenographers have taken liberties with the dimensions of Sinus Roris. Lunar maps often indicate a much larger region for this bay than the official dimensions. These can range out as far as the cratersGerard andRepsold to the west,Harpalus to the east, and as far south as 44° Nlatitude, approachingMons Rümker.
The area where the official coordinates place this bay has a generally higheralbedo than the mare to the south, most likely due to deposits of ejecta from impacts to the north.
Early concepts of a Moon landing promoted byWernher von Braun envisaged the establishment of a permanent lunar base in the Sinus Roris region.[4] These concepts lead, in much modified form, toProject Apollo.
Arthur C. Clarke's 1961 novelA Fall of Moondust is set in a fictional "Sea of Thirst" located within Sinus Roris.
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