[2] Following traditional nomenclature for the Moon, this feature was named sinus (bay) because of its small size, but it possesses many of the same characteristics as a lunar mare (sea).

These can range out as far as the craters Gerard and Repsold to the west, Harpalus to the east, and as far south as 44° N latitude, approaching Mons Rümker.

The area where the official coordinates place this bay has a generally higher albedo than the mare to the south, most likely due to deposits of ejecta from impacts to the north.

Early concepts of a Moon landing promoted by Wernher von Braun envisaged the establishment of a permanent lunar base in the Sinus Roris region.

Arthur C. Clarke's 1961 novel A Fall of Moondust is set in a fictional "Sea of Thirst" located within Sinus Roris.