Look at the Moon through binoculars or a telescope and you’ll find much more than craters. Its surface is covered with vast dark plains, rugged highlands, mountains, impact basins, valleys, rilles and bright rays of material thrown out by impacts.
Many of these features are surprisingly easy to find from Earth. Some are visible with the naked eye or binoculars, while others become rewarding targets through a small telescope.
In this guide, we’ll look at 10 of the most interesting features on the Moon to find for yourself, starting with large, easily recognizable landmarks before moving on to smaller and more challenging telescopic targets.
What Are the Main Features of the Moon’s Surface?
The Moon’s surface contains several distinct types of terrain. Once you learn to recognize them, it becomes much easier to understand what you’re seeing through binoculars or a telescope.
Impact craters are depressions created when asteroids, meteoroids and comets strike the lunar surface. Larger craters can have steep walls, terraced slopes and central peaks, while relatively young craters may be surrounded by bright rays of ejected material.
Maria are the large, dark plains that form the familiar patterns visible across the Moon’s near side. Despite their name—maria is Latin for “seas”—they contain no water. They are ancient plains of solidified basaltic lava.
Highlands are the brighter, more heavily cratered regions of the Moon. They are generally older than the maria and preserve the scars of impacts accumulated over billions of years.
Mountains and mountain ranges rise thousands of meters above the surrounding terrain. Unlike most major mountain ranges on Earth, many lunar ranges were created by enormous impacts rather than the movement of tectonic plates.
Rilles are long, narrow depressions or channels. Some formed through faulting and crustal movement, while others are associated with ancient volcanic activity and flowing lava.
The Moon also has scarps, ridges and valleys, adding to a landscape that becomes especially dramatic when sunlight strikes the surface at a low angle.
When Is the Best Time to Observe Features on the Moon?
A full Moon may seem like the obvious time to explore the lunar surface, but it is often not the best. With the Sun shining almost directly onto the Moon’s Earth-facing side, shadows are short and many craters and mountains can appear surprisingly flat.
The most dramatic views are often found close to the terminator, the boundary between the illuminated and unilluminated parts of the Moon. Here, sunlight strikes the surface at a low angle, causing crater walls, mountains and other raised features to cast long shadows.
As the Moon moves through its phases, the terminator crosses different parts of the surface. A feature that looks indistinct on one night may become striking a few nights later. There is therefore no single best phase for seeing everything in this guide.
You don’t need a large telescope to begin. Several of the features below are visible to the naked eye, binoculars reveal considerably more detail, and a small telescope opens up many of the Moon’s finer structures.
The table below gives a quick guide to the 10 features, from large naked-eye landmarks to smaller telescopic targets.
| Feature | Type | Difficulty | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oceanus Procellarum | Basaltic plain | Easy | Naked eye, binoculars or telescope |
| Tycho | Crater and rays | Easy | Naked eye, binoculars or telescope |
| Copernicus | Complex crater | Easy | Binoculars or telescope |
| Mare Imbrium | Mare and impact basin | Easy | Naked eye, binoculars or telescope |
| Montes Apenninus | Mountain range | Easy–moderate | Binoculars or telescope |
| Clavius | Large impact crater | Moderate | Small telescope |
| Rupes Recta | Fault scarp | Moderate | Small telescope |
| Rima Ariadaeus | Linear rille / graben | Moderate–challenging | Telescope |
| Aristarchus | Impact crater | Easy to locate | Naked eye, binoculars or telescope |
| Schröter’s Valley | Volcanic rille | Challenging | Telescope |
1. Oceanus Procellarum — A Vast Dark Plain
Feature type: Basaltic plain
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: Naked eye, binoculars or telescope
Oceanus Procellarum, the Ocean of Storms, is the enormous dark region covering much of the western side of the Moon’s near face. Extending for roughly 2,500 km (1,550 miles), it is the largest named dark plain on the Moon and one of the easiest lunar landmarks to identify.
Despite its grand name, Oceanus Procellarum contains neither an ocean nor storms. Like the lunar maria, its dark appearance comes largely from ancient basaltic lava that flooded low-lying terrain billions of years ago.
Start by looking at the Moon with your naked eye. Oceanus Procellarum forms a large part of the dark terrain on the Moon’s western half. Binoculars reveal the boundary between the relatively smooth plain and the brighter, more heavily cratered terrain around it.
What to look for: A huge, irregular dark region covering much of the Moon’s western near side.
Oceanus Procellarum is a useful starting point because once you can identify it, several smaller targets later in this guide become much easier to locate.
2. Tycho — The Crater With Spectacular Rays
Feature type: Impact crater and ray system
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: Naked eye, binoculars or telescope
Tycho is one of the most recognizable craters on the Moon. About 85 km (53 miles) across, it lies in the heavily cratered southern highlands and is surrounded by an extraordinary system of bright rays extending for hundreds of kilometers across the lunar surface.
Those rays consist of material blasted outward during the impact that created Tycho. At roughly 110 million years old, Tycho is relatively young by lunar standards, so its ejecta remains much brighter than the ancient terrain surrounding it.
Unlike many lunar features, Tycho can be particularly impressive around full Moon, when its bright ray system stands out dramatically even though the crater’s relief is less obvious.
At lower Sun angles, a telescope reveals more of Tycho’s structure, including its steep walls, terraced interior and central peaks.
What to look for: A bright crater in the southern part of the Moon with long pale rays spreading across much of the near side.
3. Copernicus — The Classic Lunar Crater
Feature type: Complex impact crater
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: Binoculars or telescope
Copernicus is one of the finest examples of a large complex impact crater visible from Earth. About 93 km (58 miles) across, it lies south of Mare Imbrium and is relatively easy to locate.
Binoculars show Copernicus as a prominent bright crater, but a telescope reveals why it is such a rewarding target. Its inner walls descend in a series of terraces, while several central peaks rise from the crater floor.
Copernicus also has an extensive ray system. Around full Moon these bright streaks become conspicuous, while lower-angle illumination at other phases makes the crater’s walls and central peaks much more dramatic.
It is an excellent example of how the same lunar feature can look remarkably different as the angle of sunlight changes.
What to look for: A large, bright crater with terraced walls and central peaks, surrounded by a broad ray system.
4. Mare Imbrium — A Sea Inside a Giant Impact Basin
Feature type: Mare and impact basin
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: Naked eye, binoculars or telescope
Mare Imbrium, the Sea of Rains, is one of the largest and most obvious dark plains on the Moon. It fills much of the enormous Imbrium impact basin in the northwestern part of the near side.
The distinction between the Imbrium Basin and Mare Imbrium is important. The basin was excavated by a colossal impact more than 3.8 billion years ago. Later, basaltic lava flooded large parts of the basin floor and eventually solidified to form the dark mare visible today.
Mare Imbrium is easy to see without optical aid, while binoculars begin to reveal its enormous form and the rugged terrain around its edges.
The region also demonstrates how a single ancient impact could reshape a vast area of the Moon. Some of the mountain ranges bordering Mare Imbrium form part of the structures produced by the basin-forming impact.
What to look for: A huge, roughly circular dark plain in the northwestern part of the Moon’s near side.
Once you’ve found Mare Imbrium, one of the Moon’s most spectacular mountain ranges is waiting along its southeastern edge.
5. Montes Apenninus — Mountains Along a Giant Basin
Feature type: Mountain range
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Equipment: Binoculars or telescope
Montes Apenninus, or the Lunar Apennines, forms a spectacular curving mountain range along the southeastern edge of Mare Imbrium. The range extends for about 600 km (370 miles), with peaks rising several kilometers above the surrounding terrain.
These mountains did not form through the collision of tectonic plates as ranges such as the Himalayas did on Earth. Instead, they form part of the mountainous rim associated with the enormous impact that created the Imbrium Basin.
The Lunar Apennines are particularly impressive when they lie close to the terminator. Low-angle sunlight illuminates the peaks while deep shadows stretch across the surrounding surface, making the range appear dramatically three-dimensional.
The range includes Mons Huygens, commonly described as the Moon’s highest mountain, rising about 5.5 km (3.4 miles) above its surroundings. It should not, however, be confused with the highest point on the Moon, which lies elsewhere on the lunar surface.
What to look for: A long, curved chain of rugged mountains forming the southeastern boundary of Mare Imbrium.
6. Clavius — A Giant Crater Filled With Craters
Feature type: Large impact crater
Difficulty: Moderate
Equipment: Small telescope
Clavius is one of the largest and most impressive craters visible on the Moon’s near side. Measuring about 225 km (140 miles) across, it lies among the densely cratered southern highlands.
What makes Clavius especially memorable is the collection of smaller craters scattered across its broad floor. Several form a distinctive curved sequence, with the craters becoming progressively smaller—a pattern that makes Clavius surprisingly easy to recognize once you know what to look for.
Because Clavius lies far to the south, it appears somewhat foreshortened when viewed from Earth. Even so, a small telescope under steady conditions can reveal its enormous walls and several of its interior craters.
The surrounding terrain also provides a striking contrast with the smoother maria. Here you’re looking at part of the Moon’s ancient, heavily cratered highlands.
What to look for: A huge southern crater containing a distinctive curved chain of smaller craters across its floor.
7. Rupes Recta — The Straight Wall
Feature type: Fault scarp
Difficulty: Moderate
Equipment: Small telescope
Rupes Recta, better known as the Straight Wall, is one of the Moon’s most distinctive telescopic features. It stretches for roughly 160 km (100 miles) across Mare Nubium and can look remarkably like a straight dark line drawn across the lunar surface.
Despite its dramatic appearance, the Straight Wall is not a sheer cliff. The two sides differ in elevation by roughly 400 meters (1,300 feet), but the scarp itself slopes at only about 10 degrees.
Its appearance changes dramatically with the direction of sunlight. Under one illumination it casts a shadow and appears as a dark line; when illuminated from the opposite direction later in the lunar cycle, the slope can instead appear bright.
That transformation makes Rupes Recta an excellent feature to revisit at different phases.
What to look for: A thin, unusually straight dark or bright line crossing the smoother terrain of Mare Nubium.
8. Rima Ariadaeus — A Straight Rille Across the Moon
Feature type: Linear rille / graben
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Equipment: Telescope
Rima Ariadaeus is a long, narrow depression extending for approximately 300 km (185 miles) through the highlands between Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Vaporum.
Unlike a river valley, it was not carved by flowing water. Rima Ariadaeus is a fault system displaying a well-developed graben, where a section of crust dropped between roughly parallel faults.
Viewed through a telescope under suitable illumination, the rille can appear as a remarkably straight groove cutting across the surrounding terrain.
Rima Ariadaeus is particularly interesting because lunar rilles did not all form in the same way. Compare its straight, tectonic form with the winding volcanic feature at the end of our list.
What to look for: A long, narrow and unusually straight groove cutting across the lunar landscape.
9. Aristarchus — One of the Moon’s Brightest Craters
Feature type: Impact crater
Difficulty: Easy to locate; moderate for surrounding detail
Equipment: Naked eye, binoculars or telescope
Aristarchus is only about 42 km (26 miles) across, but its exceptional brightness makes it one of the most conspicuous craters on the Moon.
It lies at the southeastern edge of the Aristarchus Plateau, surrounded by the dark basaltic plains of Oceanus Procellarum. Aristarchus is one of the Moon’s youngest large craters, and relatively fresh material exposed by the impact gives it its strikingly bright appearance.
A telescope reveals the bright crater walls and contrasting surrounding terrain, but the wider plateau is equally fascinating. It is a geologically complex volcanic region containing rilles, volcanic deposits and evidence of ancient explosive eruptions.
Aristarchus has also been associated historically with reports of short-lived changes in brightness or color known as transient lunar phenomena. Their causes remain uncertain, so these reports should not be confused with the established evidence for the region’s ancient volcanic history.
What to look for: A small but intensely bright crater near the western side of the Moon’s near face.
Once you’ve located Aristarchus and its plateau, you’re close to the final—and most challenging—feature in our tour.
10. Schröter’s Valley — A Winding Volcanic Rille
Feature type: Sinuous rille
Difficulty: Challenging
Equipment: Telescope
Schröter’s Valley, officially Vallis Schröteri, is the largest and best-known sinuous rille on the Moon. Its main winding channel extends for about 160 km (100 miles) across the Aristarchus Plateau.
Its curved form is completely different from the almost ruler-straight Rima Ariadaeus. Schröter’s Valley is a volcanic feature created during a period when lava flowed across the Aristarchus region billions of years ago.
The valley begins near a broad feature traditionally known as the Cobra Head before following a winding course across the plateau. High-resolution spacecraft images reveal an even narrower rille running within parts of the larger valley.
Under favorable illumination, observers with a telescope can trace the valley’s distinctive course. It is a fitting final target because finding it requires considerably more care than spotting Tycho or Mare Imbrium.
By this point, however, you’re no longer simply looking at the Moon. You’re beginning to recognize individual pieces of its geological history.
What to look for: A broad, winding channel on the Aristarchus Plateau close to the bright crater Aristarchus.
What Should You Look for First?
If you’re new to lunar observing, don’t try to find all 10 features in a single night. The changing angle of sunlight means different parts of the Moon become easier to see at different stages of the lunar cycle.
Start with the large naked-eye landmarks such as Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Imbrium, then find the bright craters Tycho and Copernicus with binoculars. A small telescope will let you move on to the mountains of Montes Apenninus, the crater-filled floor of Clavius and the striking line of Rupes Recta.
Once you’re comfortable navigating the lunar surface, try the more challenging rilles. Finding Rima Ariadaeus and eventually tracing Schröter’s Valley is a rewarding way to move from casual Moon watching into more deliberate lunar observing.
The Moon is close enough to show remarkable detail with modest equipment, yet its appearance changes from night to night. Learning just a handful of landmarks can turn those changing patterns of light and shadow into a landscape you recognize.
If you’re new to stargazing and astronomy, the Moon is one of the easiest places to begin. For more unusual details about Earth’s natural satellite, explore our interesting facts about the Moon.
