Montes Jura is a mountain range in the northwest part of the near side of the Moon . The selenographic coordinates of this range are 47.1° N 34.0° W. It has a diameter of 422 km, with mountains rising to approximately 3800m above the level of Sinus Iridum . They were named after the Jura Mountains in eastern France / western Switzerland .
7-456: This range of mountains form a visually pleasing semi-circular ring around the Sinus Iridum , a bay along the northwestern edge of Mare Imbrium . The blunt, east-facing cape at the southwestern end of the range is named Promontorium Heraclides , while the east-facing wedge at the northeast end is called Promontorium Laplace . As the terminator advances near this range two to three nights after
14-512: Is a plain of basaltic lava that forms a northwestern extension to the Mare Imbrium on Earth's moon . It is surrounded from the northeast to the southwest by the Montes Jura range. The protruding part of the range at the southwest end is named Promontorium Heraclides , while that at the northeast end is called Promontorium Laplace . This bay and the surrounding mountains is considered one of
21-597: Is also called Golden Handle . The only crater of note in this range is Bianchini , which lies across the north-northwestern portion of the curve. A little farther to the west is Sharp , and to the northeast is the ruined crater Maupertuis . Peter Grego describes a figurine of "The Moon Maiden", seeing her facial profile in Promontorium Heraclides, her hair in the hills to the west, and her body in Montes Jura. She appears upside down when viewed in binoculars from
28-472: The first quarter moon , the peaks of this range catch the sunlight at their tops. This produces a string of bright points that have been described as the 'jeweled scimitar ' effect. Ten to eleven days after new moon the crater rim is already illuminated by the sun when the moon is waxing , while the Sinus Iridum is still in shadow. This creates the illusion of a handle , so that the illuminated crater rim
35-581: The Northern Hemisphere. In the distant past this range once formed the outer wall of a crater about 260 km in diameter. The southeast face of this crater was then removed and the interior flooded with basaltic lava . As a result, the side of the range facing the mare ends in the nearly level plains, which the opposite side merges with a region of rough and irregular terrain. Sinus Iridum Sinus Iridum / ˈ s aɪ n ə s ˈ ɪr ɪ d ə m / ( Latin sinus īridum "Bay of Rainbows")
42-452: The most beautiful features on the Moon, and is a favorite among lunar observers. Sinus Iridum is formed from the remains of a large impact crater, which was subsequently flooded with basaltic lava, inundating the "sea" wall. The bay itself does not contain any notable impact craters, but does include the satellite crater Heraclides E in the south, Laplace A along the eastern edge, and Bianchini G in
49-448: The north. The surface is level, but is marked by a number of wrinkle ridges (dorsa). Sinus Iridum is one of the largest craters of Upper (Late) Imbrian age. The selenographic coordinates of the bay's center are 45.01° N, 31.67° W, and the diameter is 249 km. It was the planned landing site of Chang'e 3 , China's 2013 lunar exploration mission, which instead landed nearby in Mare Imbrium . When 10 to 11 days after new moon
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