Sinus Iridum

The Sinus Iridium ( German: Rainbow Bay; falsely as " Sinus Iridium " ) is a bulge of the Mare Imbrium, a low level on the near side of the Moon.

The Mare Bay is located southwest of the Montes Jura ( Jura mountains ) separating it from the Terra -terrain south of the Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold ). The Montes Jura raised by the impact, through the basin of the Sinus Iridium emerged. The diameter of the basalt bay is 236 km. Framed it is at the ends of the Montes Jura through the promontory Heraclides (Cape Heraclides ) in the southwest and the promontory Laplace (Cape Laplace ) to the northeast.

Due to the lack of south-eastern crater rim of the completed from the sinus iridium impact crater, there was speculation in what order or context in which it is incurred with the basin of the Mare Imbrium. A thesis of Harold C. Urey said mid-20th century the two structures in that the location of the sinus was Iridum the actual point of impact of the asteroid, but this struck in extremely oblique angle formed by an explosion and the basin of the Mare Imbrium have.

This thesis is wrong. The basin of the Sinus Iridium emerged after the Mare Imbrium of. In a later process both impact basins were filled by magma rising ground cracks with basalts. The lack southeast edge appears to have been collapsed by a geological weakening and subsequently covered by basalts.

The appointment was made by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Riccioli (1598-1671) and was officially established in 1935 by the International Astronomical Union.

The Chinese space probe Chang'e -3 (UTC 8) successfully landed on 14 December 2013 at 21.11 clock. A lunar rover named Yutu should then be on the lunar surface in operation for three months. Last landed in 1976, the Soviet probe Luna 24 return on the moon.