Lunar Videos

Apollo 17 50th Anniversary: Unchallenged After Fifty Years

The Apollo 17 crew was the last of an era in human space exploration and the last to set foot on the Moon. Fifty years later, the landing sites, hardware, and footsteps remain delicately preserved on the lunar surface. Join the LROC team as we commemorate their inspiring achievements. For more on Apollo 17 from LROC, visit the Featured Image post at www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1278.

Apollo 16 50th Anniversary: A New Landscape

Fifty years ago today, on 20 April 1972, Apollo 16 astronauts John W. Young and Charles M. Duke Jr. became the ninth and tenth humans to walk on the Moon after setting down the Lunar Module (LM) Orion into unexplored lunar territory. While all but one of the previous Apollo missions landed on flat, dark plains of a lower elevation, called the lunar maria, this was the first mission to land in the lunar highlands, which make up about 83 percent of the lunar surface. For more on Apollo 16 from LROC, visit the Featured Image post at www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1252.

Apollo 15: A Mission of Many Firsts

Apollo 15 landed on the Moon fifty years ago today, on August 7, 1971. While Apollo 15 was the fourth mission to land a crew successfully on the lunar surface, it still pioneered many new technologies and had many firsts. For more on Apollo 15 from LROC, visit the Featured Image post at www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1198.

Exploration in the Ocean of Storms: Apollo 12

Created by the LROC team in celebration of the Apollo 12 50th Anniversary. Discover more about Apollo 12: www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1135.

What Armstrong and Aldrin Saw: Simulated and Reconstructed Views

Simulated view from the Lunar Module Eagle as Aldrin and Armstrong approached the northeast flank of West crater (190 meters diameter). The odd viewing frames are from the Eagle's small windows. Alternate downloadable versions: What Armstrong Saw: Simulation without Overlay, What Armstrong Saw: Simulation with Overlay, What Aldrin Saw: Simulation Vs Reconstruction, What Armstrong and Aldrin Saw: Simulation Vs Original Film.

Apollo 8: Barnstorming the Moon

Mt. Marilyn

Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell named this 1400-meter tall peak straddling the boundary between Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Fecunditatis after his wife and high school sweetheart, Marilyn Lovell. Read more about this heartfelt piece of lunar history here.

How To: Digital Terrain Models

Irregular Mare Patches: Ina

Lobate Scarps: D'Alembert

Finding New Craters with Temporal Imaging

LROC WAC 643nm Moon Rotation

Aristarchus Central Peak

//www.lroc.asu.edu LROC NAC image taken at 2010-03-06 14:02:24.346 UTC. The video features high definition flyover of the central peak of Aristarchus crater, near a Constellation region of interest.

Tsiolkovskiy HD v1

Tsiolkovskiy HD v2

Apollo 14 Landing Site v1

First Look: Apollo 12 in the Ocean of Storms

LROC WAC Global Mosaic and DTM

The WAC 100 m/pixel global mosaic is comprised of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011. The WAC 100 m/pixel global DTM was derived from over 44,000 WAC stereo models from primary phase. The highest elevation (white) is 10,760 meters, and the lowest elevation (purple) is -9150 meters. Visit our website for the full resolution video and images.

Linne Crater

This flyover was generated from 3D model of Linne Crater with the image draped on top. The 3D model uses the DTM derived from LROC NAC stereo images.

Tycho Central Peak

On 10 June 2011 the LRO spacecraft slewed 65 degrees to the west, allowing the LROC NACs to capture this dramatic sunrise view of Tycho crater.

LROC Explores Apollo 11

On November 5, 2011 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) acquired a high resolution image of the Apollo 11 landing site.

LROC Explores Apollo 12

On August 19, 2011 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) acquired a high resolution image of the Apollo 12 landing site. More information about this image and other LROC images can be found at https://www.lroc.asu.edu.

LROC Explores Apollo 14

On August 18, 2011 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) acquired a high resolution image of the Apollo 14 landing site. More information about this image and other LROC images can be found at https://www.lroc.asu.edu.

LROC Explores Apollo 15

LROC Explores Apollo 16

On November 6, 2011 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) acquired a high resolution image of the Apollo 16 landing site. More information about this image and other LROC images can be found at https://www.lroc.asu.edu.

LROC Explores Apollo 17

On August 14, 2011 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) acquired a high resolution image of the Apollo 17 landing site. More information about this image and other LROC images can be found at https://www.lroc.asu.edu.

LROC Explores the West Wall of Aristarchus Crater

LROC Revisits the Interior of Tycho Crater

On 15 January 2012 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter slewed 64.5 degrees to the east to capture this astonishing view of the floor and central peak of Tycho crater. In June of 2011, LRO captured a view looking to the west. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=361YcacQZjg More amazing LROC images can be found at https://www.lroc.asu.edu.

Barnstorming Giordano Bruno Crater

Giordano Bruno is a 22 km lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon. The Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired a sequence of images, which were used to create this seamless mosaic. The mosaic was then overlaid on a digital elevation model (DEM) that was derived from NAC stereo observations. This allows us to create virtual perspective views of the crater wall.

A Day at the Apollo 12 Landing Site

What will we see at the Apollo sites? Will we see the Lunar Module descent stage and rovers? What about rover tracks, the American flags? These were some of the common questions posed to the LROC team before launch. We now know that LROC NAC images clearly show all of the items in question. It's now certain that the American flags are still standing and casting shadows at each site, except for Tranquility Base, the Apollo 11 landing site. This time-lapse highlights movement from the shadow of the Apollo 12 landing site flag using a sequence of LROC images taken at different times of the lunar day.

A Year Over the Moon's South Pole

LRO's 50 km orbit enables images of the south pole to be acquired every ~2 hours. This video is comprised of over 3,500 WAC images taken over a year (2/16/10 to 2/16/11).