Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Thursday, August 4th.  The sun rises at 6:32.  It’ll be up for 14 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 9:04.   The moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 11:18 this evening.

In binoculars the center of the of the moon and clipped by the terminator, the moon’s sunrise line is the landing area of the first humans on the moon The Sea of Tranquility.  It is a circular basin 424 miles in diameter with a flat floor.  It was formed in the first 600 million years of the moon’s existence after the worst of the cratering was over.  The moon appears to have been formed by a glancing collision of a Mars sized body with the earth during the formation of the solar system.  The debris circled the earth and condensed to form the moon.  It is from studying the rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts that this origin scenario was first put forth.  The origin of a huge satellite for the earth had baffled astronomers before this discovery..

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Sea of Tranquility emerging into sunlight - Virtual Moon Atlas