An Isolated Mountain Chain in Eastern Mare Imbrium

Feature Profile & Selenographic Data

Feature type

mons

Coordinates

34.47° N · 5.21° W

Diameter

59.19 km

IAU approval

1961/01/01 00:00:00

LAC quadrangle

LAC-25 · Cassini

Geological Chronicle

Montes Spitzbergen is a solitary mountain chain in eastern Mare Imbrium, located about 80 km north of the flooded crater Archimedes. The range trends from south to north, consisting of peaks separated by lava-flooded valleys, with a maximum width of about 25 km.

The range is thought to be the surviving rim or inner ring of an impact crater buried under magma flows. Overall, the feature spans a diameter of 59.19 km.

Mary Blagg named the range for its resemblance to the jagged terrestrial mountains of the Spitzbergen island group. The International Astronomical Union approved the name in 1961.

Chronology & Exploration

1. 1961 IAU Name Approval

   The International Astronomical Union officially approves the name Montes Spitzbergen for the mountain range.

Scientific Sources & References

• IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature — Official name, feature type, coordinates, dimensions, approval and name origin.
• Wikipedia (en) — English Wikipedia article fetched on September 14, 2026.

Name Origin

German for "sharp peaks", and named for resemblance to the terrestrial island group.