Mineral Moon (September 25th, 2026)

“Mineral Moon”: the Moon’s real but very subtle surface colours, enhanced with strong saturation. Colour differences reflect differences in chemical composition and surface age.

Blue maria (mainly Mare Tranquillitatis and parts of Oceanus Procellarum): titanium-rich basalts, due to high ilmenite content.

Orange/brown maria (Mare Serenitatis, Mare Crisium and parts of Mare Imbrium): titanium-poor, iron-rich basalts.

Reddish-brown area near Aristarchus: the Aristarchus Plateau, covered by volcanic glass from pyroclastic eruptions.

Bluish-white bright craters and ray systems (Tycho, Copernicus, Kepler, Aristarchus): young material freshly exposed by impacts and still little altered by space weathering.

Neutral to warm highlands: ancient anorthositic crust, rich in plagioclase.