List of mountains on the Moon

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This is a list of mountains on the Moon (with a scope including all named mons and montes, planetary science jargon terms roughly equivalent to 'isolated mountain'/'massif' and 'mountain range').

Caveats[edit]

  • This list is not comprehensive, as surveying of the Moon is a work in progress.
  • Heights are in meters; most peaks have not been surveyed with the precision of a single meter.
  • Mountains on the Moon have heights and elevations/altitudes defined relative to various vertical datums (referring to the lunoid), each in turn defined relative to the center of mass (CoM) of the Moon.
    c.1960 — the U.S. Army Mapping Service datum was established 1,737,988 meters from the CoM.
    c.1970 — the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency used 1,730,000 meters.
    c.1990 — The Clementine topographic data use 1,737,400 meters as the baseline, and show a range of about 18,100 meters from lowest to highest point on the Moon.
  • This is not a list of the highest places on the Moon, meaning those farthest from the CoM. Rather, it is a list of peaks at various heights relative to the relevant datum. This is because the Moon has mass asymmetries: the highest point, located on the far side of the Moon, is approximately 6,500 meters higher than Mons Huygens (usually listed as the tallest mountain).

List[edit]

Peaks on the Moon
Name Type Namesake Peak coordinates Peak elevation (m) Topographic prominence (m)
Agnes mons Agnes (Greek feminine name, meaning 'lamb') 18°40′N 5°20′E / 18.66°N 5.34°E / 18.66; 5.34 650 m 30 m
Agricola montes Georgius Agricola (metallurgist) 29°04′N 54°04′W / 29.06°N 54.07°W / 29.06; -54.07 141000 m Un­known
Alpes montes Alps (Europe) 48°22′N 0°35′W / 48.36°N 0.58°W / 48.36; -0.58 281000 m Un­known
Ampère mons André-Marie Ampère (physicist) 19°19′N 3°43′W / 19.32°N 3.71°W / 19.32; -3.71 3300 m[1] 3000 m
André mons André (French masculine name) 5°11′N 120°34′E / 5.18°N 120.56°E / 5.18; 120.56 10000 m Un­known
Apenninus montes Apennine Mountains (Italy) 19°52′N 0°02′W / 19.87°N 0.03°W / 19.87; -0.03 401000 m Un­known
Archimedes montes Archimedes (crater) nearby 25°23′N 5°15′W / 25.39°N 5.25°W / 25.39; -5.25 163000 m Un­known
Ardeshir mons Ardeshir (also 'Ardashir'; Persian King, Persian male name) 5°02′N 121°02′E / 5.03°N 121.04°E / 5.03; 121.04 8000 m Un­known
Argaeus mons Mount Erciyes (Asia Minor) 19°20′N 29°01′E / 19.33°N 29.01°E / 19.33; 29.01 50000 m Un­known
Blanc mons Mont Blanc (the Alps) 45°25′N 0°26′E / 45.41°N 0.44°E / 45.41; 0.44 3800 m[2] 3600 m
Bradley mons James Bradley (astronomer) 21°44′N 0°23′E / 21.73°N 0.38°E / 21.73; 0.38 4300 m[3] 4200 m
Carpatus montes Carpathian Mountains (Europe) 14°34′N 23°37′W / 14.57°N 23.62°W / 14.57; -23.62 361000 m Un­known
Caucasus montes Caucasus Mountains (Europe) 37°31′N 9°56′E / 37.52°N 9.93°E / 37.52; 9.93 445000 m Un­known
Cordillera montes cordillera (Spanish for "mountain chain") 17°30′S 79°30′W / 17.5°S 79.5°W / -17.5; -79.5 574000 m Un­known
Delisle mons Delisle (crater) nearby 29°25′N 35°47′W / 29.42°N 35.79°W / 29.42; -35.79 30000 m Un­known
Dieter mons Dieter (German masculine name) 5°00′N 120°18′E / 5.00°N 120.30°E / 5.00; 120.30 20000 m Un­known
Dilip mons Dilip (Indian masculine name) 5°35′N 120°52′E / 5.58°N 120.87°E / 5.58; 120.87 2000 m Un­known
Esam mons Esam (Arabic masculine name) 14°37′N 35°43′E / 14.61°N 35.71°E / 14.61; 35.71 8000 m Un­known
Ganau mons Ganau (African masculine name) 4°47′N 120°35′E / 4.79°N 120.59°E / 4.79; 120.59 14000 m Un­known
Gruithuisen Delta mons Gruithuisen (crater) nearby 36°04′N 39°35′W / 36.07°N 39.59°W / 36.07; -39.59 20000 m Un­known
Gruithuisen Gamma mons Gruithuisen (crater) nearby 36°34′N 40°43′W / 36.56°N 40.72°W / 36.56; -40.72 900 m Un­known
Hadley mons John Hadley (inventor) 26°41′N 4°07′E / 26.69°N 4.12°E / 26.69; 4.12 4500 m[2][1] 4600 m
Hadley Delta mons Hadley (quod videm) nearby 25°43′N 3°43′E / 25.72°N 3.71°E / 25.72; 3.71 3900 m[4] 3500 m
Haemus montes Haemus (Greek name for the Balkan Mountains) 17°07′N 12°02′E / 17.11°N 12.03°E / 17.11; 12.03 560000 m Un­known
Hansteen mons Hansteen (crater) nearby 12°11′S 50°13′W / 12.19°S 50.21°W / -12.19; -50.21 30000 m Un­known
Harbinger montes Harbingers of dawn upon the rim of Aristarchus (crater) 26°53′N 41°17′W / 26.89°N 41.29°W / 26.89; -41.29 90000 m Un­known
Herodotus mons Herodotus (crater) nearby 27°30′N 52°56′W / 27.50°N 52.94°W / 27.50; -52.94 5000 m Un­known
Huygens mons Christiaan Huygens (astronomer) 19°55′N 2°52′W / 19.92°N 2.86°W / 19.92; -2.86 5500 m[2] 4700 m[1]
Jura montes Jura Mountains (Europe) 47°29′N 36°07′W / 47.49°N 36.11°W / 47.49; -36.11 422000 m Un­known
la Hire mons Philippe de la Hire (astronomer) 27°40′N 25°31′W / 27.66°N 25.51°W / 27.66; -25.51 1500 m[2][1] 1500 m
Latreille mons Pierre André Latreille (entomologist) 18°28′N 61°55′E / 18.47°N 61.92°E / 18.47; 61.92 6400 m 150 m
Maraldi mons Maraldi (lunar crater) nearby 20°20′N 35°30′E / 20.34°N 35.50°E / 20.34; 35.50 1300 m 1300 m
Moro mons Antonio Lazzaro Moro (scientist) 11°50′S 19°50′W / 11.84°S 19.84°W / -11.84; -19.84 10000 m Un­known
Mouton mons Melba Roy Mouton (mathematician) 84°36′S 31°00′W / 84.6°S 31.0°W / -84.6; -31.0 130000 m Un­known
Penck mons Albrecht Penck (geographer) 10°00′S 21°44′E / 10.0°S 21.74°E / -10.0; 21.74 4000 m 4000 m
Pico mons (Spanish for "peak") 45°49′N 8°52′W / 45.82°N 8.87°W / 45.82; -8.87 2400 m[2][1] 2500 m
Pitón mons El Pitón, Spain (summit of Mount Teide, Tenerife) 40°43′N 0°55′W / 40.72°N 0.92°W / 40.72; -0.92 2100 m[2][1] 2300 m
Pyrenaeus montes Pyrenees Mountains (Europe) 14°03′S 41°31′E / 14.05°S 41.51°E / -14.05; 41.51 164000 m Un­known
Recti montes wikt:recti (Latin for "straight range") 48°18′N 19°43′W / 48.3°N 19.72°W / 48.3; -19.72 90000 m Un­known
Riphaeus montes wikt:Riphaeus (Greek name for the Ural Mountains, Russia) 7°29′S 27°36′W / 7.48°S 27.60°W / -7.48; -27.60 189000 m Un­known
Rook montes Lawrence Rook (astronomer) 20°36′S 82°30′W / 20.6°S 82.5°W / -20.6; -82.5 791000 m Un­known
Rümker mons Karl Ludwig Christian Rümker (astronomer) 40°46′N 58°23′W / 40.76°N 58.38°W / 40.76; -58.38 1100 m[5] 500 m
Secchi montes Secchi (lunar crater) nearby 2°43′N 43°10′E / 2.72°N 43.17°E / 2.72; 43.17 50000 m Un­known
Spitzbergen montes by resemblance to the Spitsbergen islands (German for "sharp peaks") 34°28′N 5°13′W / 34.47°N 5.21°W / 34.47; -5.21 60000 m Un­known
Taurus montes Taurus Mountains (Asia Minor) 27°19′N 40°20′E / 27.32°N 40.34°E / 27.32; 40.34 172000 m Un­known
Teneriffe montes Tenerife (island) 47°53′N 13°11′W / 47.89°N 13.19°W / 47.89; -13.19 182000 m Un­known
Usov mons Mikhail Usov (geologist) 11°55′N 63°16′E / 11.91°N 63.26°E / 11.91; 63.26 15000 m Un­known
Vinogradov[a] mons Aleksandr Pavlovich Vinogradov (chemist) 22°21′N 32°31′W / 22.35°N 32.52°W / 22.35; -32.52 1400 m 1400 m
Vitruvius mons Vitruvius (crater) nearby 19°20′N 30°44′E / 19.33°N 30.74°E / 19.33; 30.74 2300 m 2300 m
Wolff mons Christian Wolff (philosopher) 16°53′N 6°48′W / 16.88°N 6.80°W / 16.88; -6.80 3800 m[2] 3500 m

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Formerly called Mons Euler after Leonhard Euler (mathematician).

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. London: Cassell & Co.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Fred W. Price (1988). The Moon observer's handbook. London: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-33500-0.
  3. ^ Patrick Moore lists the height of Mons Bradley as 16,000 feet (4,900 m); Fred Price as 14,000 feet (4,300 m)
  4. ^ Shaffer, David (May 25, 2006). "Apollo 15 Surface Journal: Landing at Hadley". NASA. Retrieved 2006-11-08.
  5. ^ Wöhler, C.; Lena, R.; Pau, K. C. (March 12–16, 2007). "The Lunar Dome Complex Mons Rümker: Morphometry, Rheology, and Mode of Emplacement". Proceedings Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVIII. League City, Texas: Dordrecht, D. Reidel Publishing Co. p. 1091. Bibcode:2007LPI....38.1091W. Retrieved 2007-08-28.

External links[edit]