The equator of the Moon is defined by its rotational axis. It is the great circle contained by the plane that is perpendicular to the line connecting the north and south poles of the Moon.
Here is a list of named lunar features through which the Moon’s equator passes, from lunar east to lunar west on the part of the Moon visible from the Earth.
Remember, lunar longitude is opposite the direction in the sky. East longitude is the west/right side of the moon, and west longitude is the east/left side of the moon as viewed from the northern hemisphere of the Earth.
The diameter of each feature is included, followed by the depth of the feature, where available.
Wyld Center: 98.101˚ E, 1.416˚ S Range: 96.395˚ - 99.806˚ E, 3.121˚ S - 0.289˚N Crater; libration zone 58 mi James Hart Wyld (1913-1953), American rocket engineer
Dorsum Cloos Center: 90.410˚ E, 1.149˚ N Range: 90.387˚ - 91.144˚ E, 0.268˚ S - 2.576˚ N Wrinkle ridge; libration zone 64 mi Hans Cloos (1885-1951), German geologist
Mare Smythii Center: 87.049˚ E, 1.709˚ S Range: 80.941˚ - 92.719˚ E, 7.456˚ S - 4.496˚ N Mare; libration zone; Smyth's Sea 232 mi, 3.1 mi William Henry Smyth (1788-1865), English naval officer and astronomer
Schubert J Center: 78.935˚ E, 0.012˚ S Range: 78.579˚ - 79.292˚ E, 0.344˚ S - 0.320˚ N Crater 12 mi Friedrich Theodor von Schubert (1758-1825), German astronomer & geographer
Jenkins Center: 78.041˚ E, 0.372˚ N Range: 77.418˚ - 78.663˚ E, 0.251˚ S - 0.994˚ N Crater 24 mi, 1.9 mi Louise Freeland Jenkins (1888-1970), American astronomer
Schubert X Center: 76.750˚ E, 0.310˚ N Range: 75.940˚ - 77.561˚ E, 0.501˚ S - 1.121˚ N Crater 32 mi Friedrich Theodor von Schubert (1758-1825), German astronomer & geographer
Nobili Center: 75.949˚ E, 0.166˚ N Range: 75.260˚ - 76.638˚ E, 0.523˚ S - 0.855˚ N Crater 26 mi, 2.4 mi Leopoldo Nobili (1784-1835), Italian physicist
Maclaurin X Center: 68.708˚ E, 0.091˚ N Range: 68.403˚ - 69.014˚ E, 0.214˚ S - 0.397˚ N Crater 15 mi Colin Maclaurin (1698-1746), Scottish mathematician
Maclaurin O Center: 67.557˚ E, 0.135˚ S Range: 66.873˚ - 68.241˚ E, 0.819˚ S - 0.548˚ N Crater 23 mi Colin Maclaurin (1698-1746), Scottish mathematician
Mare Spumans Center: 65.303˚ E, 1.302˚ N Range: 63.613˚ - 66.733˚ E, 1.062˚ S - 3.722˚ N Mare 87 mi The Foaming Sea
Webb C Center: 63.833˚ E, 0.149˚ N Range: 63.267˚ - 64.398˚ E, 0.247˚ S - 0.544˚ N Crater 21 mi Thomas William Webb (1807-1885), English astronomer
Sinus Successus Center: 58.520˚ E, 1.124˚ N Range: 56.519˚ - 60.188˚ E, 0.861˚ S - 2.872˚ N Bay 82 mi Bay of Success
Mare Fecunditatis Center: 53.669˚ E, 7.835˚ S Range: 40.771˚ - 63.340˚ E, 21.695˚ S - 6.112˚ N Mare 429 mi, 1.1 mi Sea of Fertility
Taruntius P Center: 51.585˚ E, 0.060˚ N Range: 51.473˚ - 51.696˚ E, 0.051˚ S - 0.172˚ N Craterlet 5 mi, 0.9 mi Lucius Tarutius Firmanus (fl. 86 B.C.), Roman philosopher, mathematician, and astrologer
Dorsum Cayeux Center: 51.220˚ E, 0.763˚ N Range: 50.922˚ - 52.000˚ E, 0.598˚ S - 2.113˚ N Wrinkle ridge 59 mi Lucien Cayeux (1864-1944), French sedimentary petrographer
Dorsa Cato Center: 47.701˚ E, 0.213˚ N Range: 46.605˚ - 49.599˚ E, 1.165˚ S - 2.233˚ N Wrinkle ridges 87 mi Marcus Porcius Cato (234-149 B.C.), Roman soldier, senator, and historian
Rima Messier Center: 44.545˚ E, 0.756˚ S Range: 43.357˚ - 45.581˚ E, 1.561˚ S - 0.015˚ N Rille 62 mi Charles Messier (1730-1817), French astronomer
Lubbock R Center: 40.453˚ E, 0.167˚ S Range: 40.060˚ - 40.845˚ E, 0.559˚ S - 0.225˚ N Crater 15 mi Sir John William Lubbock (1803-1865), English banker, barrister, mathematician, and astronomer
Maskelyne T Center: 36.593˚ E, 0.040˚ S Range: 36.507˚ - 36.678˚ E, 0.125˚ S - 0.046˚ N Craterlet 3 mi Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811), English astronomer
Maskelyne A Center: 34.089˚ E, 0.032˚ N Range: 33.603˚ - 34.574˚ E, 0.453˚ S - 0.517˚ N Crater 18 mi Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811), English astronomer
Mare Tranquillitatis Center: 30.835˚ E, 8.349˚ N Range: 16.924˚ - 45.490˚ E, 4.051˚ S - 19.375˚ N Mare 544 mi Sea of Tranquility
Rimae Hypatia Center: 22.777˚ E, 0.340˚ S Range: 19.690˚ - 25.975˚ E, 1.406˚ S - 0.672˚ N Rilles 128 mi Hypatia (c.370-415), Alexandrian philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer
Lade A Center: 12.726˚ E, 0.161˚ S Range: 11.773˚ - 13.680˚ E, 1.114˚ S - 0.793˚ N Crater 35 mi Heinrich Eduard von Lade (1817-1904), German banker and amateur astronomer
Lade B Center: 9.796˚ E, 0.016˚ N Range: 9.412˚ - 10.180˚ E, 0.368˚ S - 0.399˚ N Crater 15 mi Heinrich Eduard von Lade (1817-1904), German banker and amateur astronomer
Rhaeticus F Center: 6.438˚ E, 0.060˚ S Range: 6.134˚ - 6.742˚ E, 0.364˚ S - 0.244˚ N Crater 11 mi Georg Joachim Rheticus (1514-1574), Austria-born astronomer & mathematician
Rhaeticus Center: 4.924˚ E, 0.032˚ N Range: 4.192˚ - 5.657˚ E, 0.701˚ S - 0.764˚ N Crater 30 x 27 mi, 1.0 mi Georg Joachim Rheticus (1514-1574), Austria-born astronomer & mathematician
Rhaeticus L Center: 3.484˚ E, 0.205˚ N Range: 3.257˚ - 3.711˚ E, 0.022˚ S - 0.432˚ N Crater 9 mi Georg Joachim Rheticus (1514-1574), Austria-born astronomer & mathematician
Sinus Medii Center: 1.027˚ E, 1.634˚ N Range: 3.371˚ W - 5.551˚ E, 2.048˚ S - 4.641˚ N Bay 178 mi Bay of the Center
Mösting E Center: 4.591˚ W, 0.178˚ N Range: 5.189˚ - 3.992˚ W, 0.421˚ S - 0.777˚ N Crater 27 mi Johan Sigismund von Møsting (1759-1843), Danish banker, finance minister, and astronomy enthusiast
Sömmering Center: 7.526˚ W, 0.193˚ N Range: 7.987˚ - 7.065˚ W, 0.268˚ S - 0.654˚ N Crater 17 mi, 0.8 mi Samuel Thomas von Sömmering (1755–1830),German physician and anatomist
Lansberg Center: 26.627˚ W, 0.312˚ S Range: 27.266˚ - 25.988˚ W, 0.951˚ S - 0.327˚ N Crater 24 mi, 1.9 mi Philippe van Lansbergen (1561-1632), Dutch astronomer and mathematician
Mare Insularum Center: 30.640˚ W, 7.792˚ N Range: 39.195˚ - 22.153˚ W, 0.596˚ S - 16.345˚ N Mare 318 mi Sea of Islands
Oceanus Procellarum Center: 56.677˚ W, 20.671˚ N Range: 81.084˚ - 26.850˚ W, 16.266˚ S - 57.433˚ N Mare 1611 x 353 mi Ocean of Storms
Lohrmann D Center: 65.273˚ W, 0.141˚ S Range: 65.442˚ - 65.104˚ W, 0.310˚ S - 0.028˚ N Crater 7 mi Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann (1796-1840), German selenographer
Rimae Hevelius Center: 66.377˚ W, 0.809˚ N Range: 67.849˚ - 63.582˚ W, 1.284˚ S - 2.956˚ N Rilles 113 mi Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687), Polish astronomer
Lohrmann Center: 67.383˚ W, 0.440˚ S Range: 67.898˚ - 66.867˚ W, 0.955˚ S - 0.075˚ N Crater 19 mi, 1.0 mi Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann (1796-1840), German selenographer
Rimae Riccioli Center: 73.071˚ W, 1.515˚ S Range: 76.809˚ - 68.566˚ W, 4.754˚ S - 1.247˚ N Rilles 249 mi Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598-1671), Italian astronomer
Schlüter P Center: 85.208˚ W, 0.054˚ N Range: 85.550˚ - 84.865˚ W, 0.289˚ S - 0.397˚ N Crater; libration zone 12 mi Heinrich Schlüter (1815-1844), German astronomer
Now that we’ve taken a tour of nearside features along the equator, let us turn to the lunar north and south celestial poles. As you know, the Earth’s north celestial pole (NCP) is currently located quite close to Polaris. However, on the Moon, the NCP is located in Draco near the Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), about two-thirds of the way between Polaris and the center of the Head of Draco.
The Moon’s south celestial pole (SCP) is located in the constellation Dorado inside of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). If you were stationed at the south pole of the Moon, you would see the Large Magellanic Cloud directly overhead at all times!
The Moon has many fascinating places, tempting us to explore. Some of them have quite interesting names. One of my favorites is Lacus Perseverantiae, Lake of Persistence. Its location is 62.0˚ E and 8.0˚ N. See if you can find it here. (Hint: under Layers : Overlays select Nomenclature, and under Settings select Show Graticule.) Have fun exploring!
References
Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who’s Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN978-0-936389-27-1.
1:1 Million-Scale Maps of the Moon, IAU/USGS/NASA. https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Moon1to1MAtlas.
Virtual Moon Atlas 6.0 Pro. Computer software. https://ap-i.net/avl/en/start.