Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera
Exciting New Images from The LROC Team.
29 Jun 2018
This portion of an impact melt flow at Aristarchus Crater, centered at 24.6°N, 321.1°E, includes modified small craters and overlapping melt flows. What do the shapes of craters on impact melt and the statistics derived through careful analysis of crater density tell us about the crater formation process and timing of subsequent events? Image is 1.38 km (0.86 mi) wide. Image NAC M181411224R [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
20 Jun 2018
Ina (18.66°N, 5.30°E) is one of the most enigmatic landforms on the Moon. First discovered in Apollo-era photographs, then intensely studied with modern observations, its nature is still unknown. The Sun is shining right-to-left, 40 centimeter pixels, width 440 meters. Image: NAC M175246029LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
15 Jun 2018
The summit of the unnamed peak in the foreground (50.2° S, 236.6° E) has an elevation of 6710 meters, about 7000 meters of relief relative to the low point at the bottom of the image. The two peaks on the horizon, 200 kilometers in the distance, have summit elevations of 4320 meters and 4680 meters, respectively and both rise more than 6000 meters above their surroundings. West-to-east view across the eastern portion of the South Pole-Aitken basin, NAC M1211426555LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
08 Jun 2018
By lunar standards South Massif is a relatively modest mountain, but with a rich history (geologic and exploration). The massif is about 7000 meters across at the base and 2300 meters tall; M1266925685LR, incidence angle 33°, slew angle 65°, phase angle 104° [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
27 May 2018
Recent impact craters are some of the most spectacular landforms on the Moon! For example, Hell Q (3.4 kilometers in diameter, 33.0° S, 355.5° E) shows off pristine impact melt that lined the crater walls and pooled in the bottom, now solidified into rock. Ejecta was thrown out several crater radii, and dark impact-melt streamers that formed late in the impact process crossed over the early emplaced ejecta; NAC M1221369684LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
03 May 2018
Hawke crater, 13.2 km wide, is noticeably tilted because the impactor - an asteroid or a comet - that excavated it struck the sloping inner wall of Grotrian crater. Visible are light-colored rays that attest to the crater's youth, as well as subtle signs of darker impact melt. Image width is about 20 km, -66.61 lat, 128.65 lon. Image number M1258054744. [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]
24 Apr 2018
Taurus-Littrow valley, geologic exploration target for Apollo 17 and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera study team led by Dr. Prasun Mahanti. Center latitude 20.15°N, center longitude 30.98°E, image 18 km wide, image M1182232465LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
19 Apr 2018
The Orientale Basin, about 950 kilometers wide, is the striking multi-ringed impact feature at lower right. New research suggests that the impact event that formed Orientale may have emplaced light plains deposits - visible here in green - over a large portion of the lunar surface. Image width: 3475 kilometers (the width of the Moon) [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]
06 Apr 2018
A floor fracture and central peak structure on the floor of Humboldt Crater (207 km diameter) that formed directly after impact. Intrusive volcanic activity likely caused the floor of the crater to lift up and then fracture [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
08 Mar 2018
The Montes Carpatus region (16.67°N, 332.93°E) contains numerous examples of volcanic materials. The low albedo (dark) patterns may indicate pyroclastic (explosive) material that erupted over 3 billion years ago. Tobias Mayer G crater (7000 m diameter) is seen in the upper left in this west-to-east view; incidence angle 44°, slew angle 68°, phase angle 36°, NAC M1252131209LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
