The Ocean of Storms has the unique distinction of being the only lunar formation characterized as an ocean. It covers an area approximately 700 by 500 km in size (2.1 milliom square kilometers) and is characterized with a very flat surface. Some of the dominant features include two noticeable impact ray craters, Aristarchus to the north and Kepler to the south; the rille Vallis Schroeder measuring 160 km in length, 10 km in width and 1000 m tall; various rimae, domes and mountain ranges as well as Reiner Gamma. Its neighbours include Mare Humorum to the south, Mare Nubium and Insularum to the east, Mare Imbrium to the north and Mare Orientale to the east.

Note: The image below was taken during favourable libration for the observation and imaging of Mare Orientale and which is clearly visible slightly south of the western limb.

Note: The Ocean of Storms is host to three probe landings which all soft-landed in 1966, namely the Soviet Luna 9 (Jan 31, 1966) and 13 (Dec 21, 1966) probes as well as the American Surveyor 1 (May 30, 1966). The purpose of the latter mission was to photograph and sample the immediate area for a potential manned landing mission by the Apollo project. A complete enumeration of all landing sites for Apollo, Luna and Surveyor craft is available elsewhere on this site.