Sky Watch: Geography of the man in the moon

When the full moon rises in the east around sunset on Aug. 1, many around the globe will be watching.

and cover much of the moon's face; they are known as "mare" or "seas."

This "watery" terminology dates back to the earliest days of moon gazing, when astronomers speculated that the smooth dark nature of these regions might indicate the presence of huge oceans.Some even wondered if the moon might be a gigantic mirror that reflected the image of Earth itself. Today, we realize that these mare are huge plains of solidified magma that welled up from deep within the moon after violent impacts during its early evolution and flooded the lowest terrain.

Many of these features still carry the names of antiquity, such as the Sea of Nectar and Ocean of Storms. Perhaps most famous is the Sea of Tranquility, made famous by the Apollo XI mission that landed the first astronaut on the moon in 1969. It lies on its westernmost side and appears near the top of the rising moon.

It is the interplay between the lighter lunar highlands and the darker mare that creates another illusion we call "the man in the moon." One lunar plain, the Sea of Serenity, marks one eye, while the Sea of Rains forms the other. A mountain range forms the bridge of his nose and, below, a collection of seas form his large, crooked smile.