The first map of the Moon by William Gilbert

As the astronomer of Queen Elizabeth I, William Gilbert (1544-1603) gave the first extant map of the Moon featuring a nomenclature. Published by his brother in 1651, Gilbert’s map is made from naked-eye observations. Thirteen names are attributed to several typology zones inspired by traditional geography: mare, sinus, regio, insula, promontorium are all names that offers a first interpretation of the moon’s surface.