Lunar Probe
Rille · Hadley-Apennine

Hadley Rille

A sinuous channel interpreted as an ancient volcanic feature near the Apollo 15 landing site.

Feature typeRille
RegionHadley-Apennine
Approximate scale1.5 km
Location26.1°N, 3.6°E region
LRO close-up of Apollo 15 EVA stations beside Hadley Rille with astronaut and rover tracks visible
LRO close-up of Apollo 15 EVA stations beside Hadley Rille with astronaut and rover tracks visible. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University. View the NASA source and download information.
Hadley RilleSinuous volcanic rille · schematic locator aid
The schematic separates the landform concept from the spacecraft or telescope image above.

What you are looking at

Hadley Rille is a winding channel roughly 1 to 1.5 km wide in places and hundreds of metres deep. Its meandering form resembles collapsed or open lava-channel systems rather than an impact structure.

How it formed and changed

The rille formed during ancient volcanic activity associated with mare basalt emplacement. Apollo 15 astronauts examined the terrain from nearby stations, giving scientists rare ground-level context for a major lunar volcanic landform.

What scientists learn here

Apollo photography and samples around the rille helped connect orbital morphology with basaltic volcanic processes. The site demonstrates how crew mobility can place geological observations within a broader landscape rather than collecting isolated samples.

How to find and observe Hadley Rille

Hadley Rille requires a telescope and favourable seeing. It becomes easiest when low-angle sunlight creates contrast along the channel. The nearby Apennine Mountains and Archimedes region help locate it.

Nearby landmarks and exploration context

The Apollo 15 landing site sits between Hadley Rille and the Apennine Front, making this one of the best documented geological field sites on the Moon.

Why this feature matters

Apollo 15 observations and samples made the area a classic field site for studying lunar volcanism and surface processes.

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