Featured Images

Reiner Gamma: Swirling in Mystery

Reiner Gamma lunar swirl (7.5° N, 301.0°E);  NAC controlled mosaic containing images, M1139307518L/R, M1139300406L/R, M1139286182L/R, M1139293294L/R, and M1108661104R [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 26 May 2022

How Spectacular is this View?!?!

Oblique view of what might be the most spectacular young crater on the Moon - Giordano Bruno. The imposing cliff in the background rises 3000 m above the melt pool seen in the middle ground (top of cliff not seen here). Scene is about 3...

Published on 15 Jul 2019

Von Kármán Crater: Awaiting A Visitor

Von Kármán crater (186 kilometer diameter), a treasure house of geologic landforms! LROC Wide Angle Camera mosaic, five degree latitude and longitude grid [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 02 Jan 2019

Deflector Shields Up!

Part of the westernmost swirl feature in Mare Marginis. This closeup of the center of the anaglyph strip below highlights an area little more than five kilometers wide. Bright swirl areas appeared "painted on" the landscape. Part of NAC...

Published on 06 Sep 2018

Polar Illumination Maps and More!

New Reduced Data Records (RDRs) available as part of the 32nd Planetary Data System (PDS) release include two versions of the polar illumination maps for each pole. They include this time-weighted north pole illumination...

Published on 12 Jan 2018

'Shaping' Lunar Science with Vector Data

Twenty new shapefiles created by the LROC Team are now available! A few of the shapefiles shown here include mare age units, footprints of digital terrain models (DTMs), and the locations of small geologic features such as...

Published on 18 Jul 2017

Color of the Lassell Massif

A shock of color on the Moon! The Lassell Massif (a so-called "red spot") in Mare Nubium appears orange in the center of this WAC color composite image. The image was derived by assigning red to 689 nm, green to 415 nm, and blue to 321...

Published on 12 Sep 2016

Swirls Across the Moon

The swirls of Reiner Gamma, shown in enhanced color (415 nm, 321/415 nm, 321/360 nm in red, green, and blue, respectively) from the LROC Wide Angle Camera, overlaid on a monochrome mosaic. Scence is 108 km across and centered at 6.6° N,...

Published on 03 May 2016

LROC NAC Anaglyph: Mare Ingenii Swirls

Mare Ingenii Swirls - note the lack of topography associated with these enigmatic deposits! [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 09 Jan 2015

That's a Relief

A color coded shaded relief map of a symmetrical mountain located in Mare Ingenii and centered at 35.969°S, 164.497°E. This peak is approximately 2.5 km in diameter and 230 meters tall. The colors represent elevation; high elevations...

Published on 01 Oct 2013

Looking East Over Reiner Gamma

LROC NAC oblique image looking west to east over the Reiner Gamma Formation (7.409°N, 300.972°E, north is to the left). Image is ~22 km wide (M1127569280). Arrows highlight a scarp formed by thrust faulting [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State...

Published on 19 Sep 2013

Wrinkled Reiner Gamma

LROC NAC color shaded relief (centered at 301.240°E, 7.416°N) showing part of a wrinkle ridge crosscutting the Reiner Gamma formation. Color represents elevation; derived from NAC DTM "REINER4" [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 17 Sep 2013

Snapshots From Space

Astronaut Cernan (UR, LR), Evans (UL, LR) and Schmitt (LL) relaxing in the Apollo 17 Command Module America after Cernan and Schmitt returned from three days of exploring the magnificent Taurus Littrow valley [NASA/ Arizona State...

Published on 25 Jul 2013

Lunar Kipuka

A crater breached and filled with the lavas of Mare Imbrium (31.364°N, 334.217°E). LROC NAC M193132768L, image width is 3.2 km [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 11 Jul 2013

Giordano Bruno Whorl

Impact melt forms a swirled feature in Giordano Bruno crater. Image width is 1 km, LROC NAC M143947267L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 07 Jun 2013

The Swirls of Mare Ingenii

An oblique view of Mare Ingenii and the swirl that marks its floor. Scene is approximately 15 km across (subsampled from the native resolution); NAC images M191830503L,R [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 21 Jun 2012

Recent Impact in Oceanus Procellarum

A small amount of impact melt pooled and froze on the floor of this Copernican impact crater, and is 90 x 70 m in size. What process creates impact melt pools? LROC NAC M111972680LE, image width is 750 m [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State...

Published on 12 Aug 2011

Reiner Gamma Constellation Region of Interest

The heart of the Constellation region of interest in the Reiner Gamma swirl. Astronauts exploring this region will address longstanding questions about the origins of this distinctive natural feature. Image width is 510 m...

Published on 29 Jun 2010

The Earth from the Moon

The Earth as seen from the Moon! LROC NAC mosaic of images snapped on 12 June 2010 during a calibration sequence, E130954785L and E130954785R [NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University].

Published on 24 Jun 2010

Depths of Mare Ingenii

Impact craters are visible everywhere on the Moon, but pits are rare. This pit in Mare Ingenii (located at 35.95°S, 166.06°E) is about 130 m in diameter! Image width is 550 m, illumination is from the upper right, NAC M128202846LE...

Published on 16 Jun 2010