Mare Desiderii [SEP] located on astronomical body
Mare Desiderii
Mare Desiderii ("Sea of Dreams") was an area of the Moon named after Luna 3 returned the first pictures of the far side. This name is derived from the Russian "Море Мечты", Mechta ("Dream") being the original name for the Luna 1 spacecraft.
This feature was later found to be composed of a smaller mare, Mare Ingenii (Sea of Ingenuity or Cleverness), and other dark craters. Today the IAU does not recognise the name "Mare Desiderii"
Water features "Maria" and "Oceanus".
There is also a region on the Lunar farside that was briefly misidentified as a mare and named "Mare Desiderii" (Sea of Dreams). It is no longer recognized. Other former maria include:
- Mare Parvum ("Small Sea"), immediately to the east of Inghirami
- Mare Incognitum ("Unknown Sea")
- Mare Novum ("New Sea"), northeast of Plutarch
- Mare Struve ("Struve's Sea"