LROC News System - Featured Image http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts For LROC Announcements, Images of the Week, and more! en Intuitive Machines IM-1 On The Moon! http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1360 Mark Robinson <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Nova C seen from orbit, 89 cm per pixel" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1425/content_Nova_C_1100x1100_crop.png" /> <figcaption>The Intuitive Machines IM-1 Nova-C, known as Odysseus, touched down on the Moon Thursday, 22 February, at 23:23:53 UTC (17:23 CST). The arrow indicates the Nova-C lander; the image width is 973 meters, NAC&nbsp;M1463440322L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Nova C from orbit, without arrow" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1426/content_Nova_C_no_arrow_1100x1100_crop.png" /> <figcaption>Odysseus came to rest at <a href="https://bit.ly/49polH5">80.13&deg;S, 1.44&deg;E</a>, 2579 m elevation, within a degraded one-kilometer diameter crater where the local terrain is sloped at a sporty 12&deg;. The same image as above without the arrow; the image width is 973 meters, and the image was acquired on 24 February 2024 at 18:57 UTC (12:57 pm CST), NAC M1463440322L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Before and after images (blinking) of the IM landing site" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1427/content_IM1_Animation_M172936310_M1463440322L.gif" /> <figcaption>Before and after NAC images centered on the IM-1 landing site. NAC images M172936310 (before) and M1463440322L (after) [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Related Featured Images</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1321">IM-1 Landing Region</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1358">JAXA SLIM Landing</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/461">Mare Crisium: Failure Then Success</a></p> 2024-02-26 13:35:31 UTC JAXA SLIM Landing http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1358 Mark Robinson <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="JAXA SLIM landing site, 80 cm pixel scale" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1418/content_ALIGN_aligned_M1460739214L.1100x1100.png" /> <figcaption>The SLIM lander on the lunar surface (13.3160&deg;S, 25.2510&deg;E, -912 m elevation). The image is 880 meters wide, and north is up, LROC NAC M1460739214L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On 19 January 2024 at 15:20 UTC, the <a href="https://global.jaxa.jp/">Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency</a> (JAXA) <a href="https://global.jaxa.jp/countdown/slim_special_site.html">Smart Lander for Investigating Moon</a> (SLIM) landed on the Moon. Five days later, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft orbit passed over the landing site, and the<a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/"> Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera</a> (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) acquired an image from an altitude of about 80 kilometers (50 miles), with a solar incidence angle of 14&deg; (near noon). Bright ejecta seen on the left side of the image is from the nearby fresh crater <a href="https://bit.ly/47OvaQT">Shioli</a> (diameter 270 meters).</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Before landing NAC image blinking with after landing NAC image (enlarged 2x)" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1419/content_SLIM_Blink_Labels.gif" /> <figcaption>Before (M1254087075L) and after (M1460739214L) landing site pair. Note the slight change in reflectance around the lander due to engine exhaust sweeping the surface. Images enlarged 2x, 440 meters wide [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Before and after landing ratio image" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1421/content_Fig03_SLIM_Crop_Ratio_1100x1100.png" /> <figcaption>Ratio of the before image and the after image. The subtle changes to surface brightness from the rocket plume are enhanced. Image width 880 meters, north is up [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Related Featured Images</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1314">Chandrayaan 3 Landing Site</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1172">First Look: Chang&#39;e 5</a></p> 2024-01-26 18:50:18 UTC IM-1 Landing Region http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1321 Mark Robinson <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="IM-1 Landing area 1.7 m pixel scale" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1412/content_im1_half_res_170cm_1100.png" /> <figcaption>IM-1 landing region, the map is 1870 meters wide; north and nearside are towards the top, 1.70 meters per pixel. NAC M1435274280LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Intuitive Machines <a href="https://www.intuitivemachines.com/im-1">IM-1</a> Nova-C lander is scheduled to launch toward the Moon no earlier than 13 February 2024. The IM-1 landing will occur about one week after the launch.</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="IM-1 Landing area 85 cm pixel scale" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1413/content_im1_1100_85cm.png" /> <figcaption>High-resolution mosaic (85 cm pixel scale) centered on the nominal landing area (80.2&deg;S, 1.0&deg;E). The map is 935 meters wide; north and nearside are towards the top, LROC NAC M1435274280LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p><a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/data/support/downloads/original_WAC_ROI_SOUTH_SUMMER_100M.-78.str01.mapsheet.3600x3600.png" target="_blank">A full resolution Wide Angle Camera context map showing the IM-1 landing area</a>&nbsp;is available at this link. The white square (center top) indicates the location of the NAC map (seen above and below)&nbsp; [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</p> <p>The <a href="https://bit.ly/3vyCxyo">landing area</a> is within 300 kilometers of the south pole, between the craters Malapert C and Malapert B and east of Malapert A, in relatively ancient terrain within the South Pole Aitken basin.</p> <p><iframe class="olZoomify" data-fi-zoomify="{&quot;ptifName&quot;:&quot;M1435077792_LRmos.warp.str01.crop4FI.4zoom_20231122_135117&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:30660,&quot;height&quot;:9859,&quot;center&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:16004,&quot;y&quot;:-5244},&quot;zoomLevel&quot;:4}" src="/zoomify?image=M1435077792_LRmos.warp.str01.crop4FI.4zoom_20231122_135117&amp;center_x=16004&amp;center_y=5244&amp;zoom_level=4" style="width: 100%; height: 700px;"></iframe>Oblique image showing the IM-1 landing area, acquired from an altitude of 78 kilometers with a slew angle of 64&deg; on 2023-04-02. North is to the right, 57 kilometers wide at the center, LROC NAC M1435077792LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Related Featured Images</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1318">On the Way to Shioli Crater</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1314">Chandrayaan 3 Landing Site</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1172">First Look: Chang&#39;e 5</a></p> 2024-01-19 15:50:21 UTC Luna 25 Impact Crater http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1311 Mark Robinson <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Luna 25 impact crater" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1346/content_luna25_crater_1100x1100_anot.png" /> <figcaption>During the descent to the surface, the Russian spacecraft Luna 25 experienced an anomaly that caused it to impact into the southwest rim of Pontecoulant G crater on 19 August 2023 11:58 am UTC (14:58 Moscow time). Image is 1100 meters wide, north is up, LROC NAC M1447547309R [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Roscosmos <a href="https://t.me/rian_ru/212785">posted an estimate</a> of the impact point on 21 August 2023 at 17:16:14 UTC. Due to fast action by the LROC team and the LRO Mission Operations team, a NAC six-image sequence was designed and sent to the spacecraft at the last minute on 22 August. The sequence began on 24 August 18:15 UTC and was completed on 24 August 22:12 UTC.</p> <p>The LROC team compared images taken prior to the impact time and the sequence taken after and found a small new crater. The most recent &quot;before&quot; image was shuttered in June 2022 (M1410024427R); thus, the crater formed sometime after that date. Since this new crater is close to the estimated impact point, it is likely to be the Luna 25 crater and not a natural crater. The Luna 25 crater is about 10 meters in diameter and is located at <a href="https://bit.ly/45tRYVA">57.865&deg;S, 61.360&deg;E</a> at an elevation of -360 meters (accuracy better than 40 meters). The <a href="https://t.me/rian_ru/212785">Luna 25</a> impact point was on the steep (&gt;20&deg;) inner rim of Pontecoulant G crater, about 400 kilometers short of the intended landing point (69.545&deg;S, 43.544&deg;E).</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Four times enlargement of the Luna 25 impact site" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1347/content_luna25_crater_enlarge4x_nn_anot.png" /> <figcaption>LROC NAC image enlarged four times centered on the Luna 25 crater. Image width 275 meters, north is up, M1447547309R (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University).</figcaption> </figure> <p><iframe class="olZoomify" data-fi-zoomify="{&quot;ptifName&quot;:&quot;luna25_6NAC_mosaic_4zoom_20230826_143959&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:20000,&quot;height&quot;:20000,&quot;center&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:10010,&quot;y&quot;:-9697},&quot;zoomLevel&quot;:3}" src="/zoomify?image=luna25_6NAC_mosaic_4zoom_20230826_143959&amp;center_x=10010&amp;center_y=9697&amp;zoom_level=3" style="width: 100%; height: 700px;"></iframe>Mosaic formed from six NAC images, centered on the Luna 25 crater. The terrain slopes downward from the lower right to the upper left. M1447540283L, M1447547309L, M1447554334L, M1447540283R, M1447547309R, M1447554334R, full mosaic 22 x 22 kilometers [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</p> 2023-11-29 22:41:44 UTC On the Way to Shioli Crater http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1318 Mark Robinson <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="NAC oblique (M124931011LR) showing Shioli crater, located on ejecta of Theopilus crater" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1359/content_shioli_crop_1100.105_24.png" /> <figcaption>The upcoming Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) lunar lander will touchdown in the vicinity of Shioli crater (center foreground, 210-meter diameter).&nbsp; The bright interior and rays indicate a very young age for this crater and the unnamed crater (85-meter diameter) seen in the upper left. M1249431011LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The JAXA Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (<a href="https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sas/slim/">SLIM</a>) will demonstrate pin-point landing and obstacle detection techniques. SLIM was launched on 7 September 2023 at 8:42:11 A.M. (JST) from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center on a H-IIA Launch Vehicle (#47). SLIM successfully transitioned into a lunar transfer orbit at 2:40 am (JST) on 1 October 2023, and the vehicle is slated to touchdown near <a href="https://bit.ly/3RTWJ6V">Shioli crater</a> sometime early in 2024.</p> <p>Impacts of asteroidal or cometary material release tremendous energy due to their hypervelocity, typically moving at speeds of around 15 kilometers per second (9 miles per second or about 33,000 miles per hour). As a result, a crater that is ten times wider than the impactor&nbsp;is formed. The depth of the crater is about 20% of its diameter, and material from about half that depth is ejected to the rim and beyond. In the case of Shioli crater, the bright ejecta seen around the rim originated from about 20 meters beneath the surface. Since it comes from depth, the ejected material was protected from the effects of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_weathering">space weathering</a>, which darkens and changes the color of the regolith. Over time, the bright ejecta will fade into the background as the surface weathers.</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Shioli crater two versions; left is normal contrast, right contrast for Shioli only (background is dark)" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1360/content_two_panel_shioli.png" /> <figcaption>The <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/about/specs">LROC NAC</a>s have a wide dynamic range; they can record up to 3600 grey levels. Compare that number to the measly 256 (8-bit) grey levels that a typical computer monitor can display.&nbsp; Thus, compromises must be made when stretching an image for web release. On the left, NAC reflectance values of 0.105 to 0.24 were compressed into the 8-bit range of 0 to 255. This stretch resulted in the crater interior and near-rim deposits being saturated (no detail). Preserving detail in the brightest areas required a stretch from 0.14 to 0.30. But now the background is lost in a sea of black!&nbsp; M1249431011LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University.]</figcaption> </figure> <p>Shioli crater formed 12 kilometers from the rim of Theophilus crater (100-kilometer diameter) on ejecta emplaced during the Theophilus-forming impact. Thus, the material around Shioli crater originated from one or two kilometers beneath the surface. As a result, SLIM will provide an opportunity to explore a cross-section of the crust.</p> <p>Below, you can see the steep southwest rim of <a href="https://bit.ly/3rT5bIX">Theophilus crater</a> (100-kilometer diameter), with Shioli crater (210-meter diameter) appearing as the bright splotch near the center of the frame. North is to the left, M1249431011LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University.]</p> <p><iframe class="olZoomify" data-fi-zoomify="{&quot;ptifName&quot;:&quot;M1249431011_LRmos.warp.SLIM.W2E_20231010_111057&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:17365,&quot;height&quot;:9865,&quot;center&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:10024,&quot;y&quot;:-4949},&quot;zoomLevel&quot;:3}" src="/zoomify?image=M1249431011_LRmos.warp.SLIM.W2E_20231010_111057&amp;center_x=10024&amp;center_y=4949&amp;zoom_level=3" style="width: 100%; height: 700px;"></iframe></p> <p><strong>Related Featured Images</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1314">Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1090">First Look: Chang&#39;e 4</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1172">First Look: Chang&#39;e 5</a></p> 2023-11-07 18:51:29 UTC Gruithuisen: Collapsed Lava Tube? http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1189 Megan Henriksen <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Collapsed Lava Tube near Gruithuisen" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1334/content_grui_lavatube_main.png" /> <figcaption>The spectacular sinuous landform shown above is thought to be a collapsed lava tube (34.7&deg;N, 316.6&deg;E), located near Gruithuisen K crater. NAC controlled mosaic containing images M1173350480L/R,&nbsp;M1173357586L/R [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>This long sinuous feature extends about 48 km across Oceanus Procellarum. What is this strange feature consisting of ridges and elliptical and curved pits? Perhaps it was originally formed as a lava tube?</p> <p>Caused by an eruption of basaltic lava, lava tubes form as flowing lava cools and crusts; the crust insulates the flowing lava allowing hot to flow for great distances.&nbsp;After some time,&nbsp; perhaps due to seismic events&nbsp;or an impact event,&nbsp;lava tubes can&nbsp;succumb to gravitational collapse. As a consequence, a chain of pits can form&nbsp;along the tube.&nbsp;The large irregularly shaped crater-like formation at the upper left of the image is <a href="http://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/804">potentially the source vent for the lava flow.</a>&nbsp;If there are lava tubes at Gruithuisen K, they&nbsp;could be as wide as 500 meters!</p> <p>Because the lunar surface experiences major temperature fluctuations, cosmic radiation, and meteorite impacts, some researchers have proposed that habitats be set up inside sublunarean voids to protect people and equipment from these hazards! Check out the close-up of this spectacular landform!&nbsp;</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Zoomed in view of collapsed lava tube with 1km measurement" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1335/content_grui_lavatube_zoomed.png" /> <figcaption>Close-up of a section of the collapsed lava tube located near Gruithuisen (<a href="https://quickmap.lroc.asu.edu/?extent=-46.0747742,33.6557058,-41.3252258,35.6993444&amp;camera=1092119.564661551,-1043652.1248393772,1045994.1963518331,6.283185307179586,-1.5707963267948966,0,1837400&amp;proj=22&amp;layers=NrBsFYBoAZIRnpEBmZcAsjYIHYFcAbAyAbwF8BdC0yioA">34.7&deg;N, -43.7&deg;E</a>). NAC controlled mosaic containing images M1173350480L/R,&nbsp;M1173357586L/R [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>Is this feature at Gruithuisen just a chain of collapsed lava tubes? Or is there something else going on here?</p> <p>There is something distinctive about the topography across the sinuous chain of pits! Drawing a profile across some parts of the feature shows a classic collapsed pit structure, a dip in elevation like a bowl with no raised rim. However, drawing across another part of the feature, in what otherwise would also appear to be a collapsed pit, appears to have a raised rim. Perhaps a levee indicative of a channelized flow...</p> <p>Zoom in and out of&nbsp;the Gruithuisen feature below!</p> <p><iframe class="olZoomify" data-fi-zoomify="{&quot;ptifName&quot;:&quot;NAC_ROI_GRUITHSNLOD_E347N3163_5M_20210422_140947&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:5765,&quot;height&quot;:14073,&quot;center&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:3224,&quot;y&quot;:-6073},&quot;zoomLevel&quot;:4}" src="/zoomify?image=NAC_ROI_GRUITHSNLOD_E347N3163_5M_20210422_140947&amp;center_x=3224&amp;center_y=6073&amp;zoom_level=4" style="width: 100%; height: 700px;"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Learn more about lava tubes!</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/202">Marius Hills Pit - Lava Tube Skylight?</a><br /> <a href="http://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/804">Tadpole and Lava Tube</a><br /> <a href="http://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/292">Sinuous Chain of Depressions</a><br /> <a href="http://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/821">Exploring the Lunar Subsurface</a></p> <p>Do you want to download this image for yourself?<br /> <a href="http://wms.lroc.asu.edu/lroc/view_rdr/NAC_ROI_GRUITHSNLOD">GRUITHSNLOD: Collapsed Lava Tube near Gruithuisen K low-Sun controlled NAC mosaic (D)</a></p> <p>Interested in learning more about controlled mosaics? Check out <a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1119">Feature Mosaics: Behind the Seams</a></p> 2023-10-06 16:28:17 UTC Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1314 Mark Robinson <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Chandrayaan-3 Seen From Orbit" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1348/content_M1447750764_LRmos.warp.1100px1100p.clean.png" /> <figcaption>Chandrayaan-3 lander is in the center of the image, its dark shadow is visible against the bright halo surrounding the vehicle. The image is 1738 meters wide, M1447750764LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Indian Space Research Organisation (<a href="https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3.html">ISRO</a>) Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the Moon on 23 August 2023. LROC acquired this oblique view (42&deg; slew angle) of the lander four days later. The bright halo around the vehicle resulted from the rocket plume interacting with the fine-grained regolith (soil). Visit the ISRO gallery of Chandrayaan-3 <a href="https://www.isro.gov.in/chandrayaan3_gallery.html">images</a>.</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Annotated version of orbital view showing north arrow and box around lander" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1349/content_M1447750764_LRmos.1100px1100p.anot.png" /> <figcaption>The Chandrayaan-3 landing site is located about 600 kilometers from the south pole (<a href="https://bit.ly/47Yghg3">69.3741&deg;S, 32.32&deg;E, 532 m elevation</a>). The white box is 338 meters wide, M1447750764LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe class="olZoomify" data-fi-zoomify="{&quot;ptifName&quot;:&quot;M1447750764_LRmos.warp.4zoom_20230901_081117&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:43361,&quot;height&quot;:9864,&quot;center&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:25419,&quot;y&quot;:-6332},&quot;zoomLevel&quot;:6}" src="/zoomify?image=M1447750764_LRmos.warp.4zoom_20230901_081117&amp;center_x=25419&amp;center_y=6332&amp;zoom_level=6" style="width: 100%; height: 700px;"></iframe>Full NAC image (M1447750764LR) of the Chandrayaan-3 landing site; scroll around to find the lander [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</p> <p><strong>Related Featured Images</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1090">First Look: Chang&#39;e 4</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1131">Vikram Lander Found</a></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/929">What a Blast! &ndash; Revisiting the Chang&#39;e 3 Landing Site</a></p> 2023-09-05 18:09:26 UTC Mount Marilyn: A Lunar Love Story http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1312 Mark Robinson <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="138 km wide view, centered on Mt. Marilyn" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/705/content_mt_marilyn_wac_138km.png" /> <figcaption>Mount Marilyn, with its distinctive triangular shape, served as an important navigation landmark for the Apollo 11 astronauts. Portion of LROC Wide Angle Camera mosaic, 138 km wide [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p><em>Marilyn Lovell, a truly amazing woman, <a href="https://tinyurl.com/5n7bkr6a">passed away </a>this weekend at the age of 93. She and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/lovell_james_0.pdf">Captain James Lovell </a>had been married for 71 years,&nbsp; a beautiful and inspiring lunar love story. We are republishing the Mt. Marilyn post from December 2018 in her honor.</em></p> <p><a href="http://bit.ly/2A7jj3i">Mount Marilyn</a> holds a special place in the history of lunar exploration. This 1400-meter tall peak straddling the boundary between Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Fecunditatis served as a critical landmark as Apollo 11 astronauts descended to the surface. The astronauts knew they were on track if the landmark was visible at a specified time.</p> <p>Before the Apollo 8 flight, the astronauts picked distinctive landmarks along potential landing routes, and Jim Lovell picked Mount Marilyn. Marilyn and Jim, high school sweethearts, were married shortly after Jim graduated from the Naval Academy in 1952. Today is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 8, and Marilyn and Jim have been married for more than 65 years!</p> <p>Lovell first saw Mount Marilyn in person as the Apollo 8 Command Module flew over it, and he called out the landmark at 72:05:40 Ground Elapsed Time:&nbsp; <strong>Lovell</strong>: <em>I can see the old second initial point right now, Mount Marilyn. </em></p> <p>Mount Marilyn appears on many Apollo-era technical reports and maps, but the name was not officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) until recently. This historic landmark was officially named &quot;<a href="https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/15617">Mount Marilyn</a>&quot; on 26 July 2017.</p> <p>Now, you can fly over Mount Marilyn in a video produced by the LROC team. A model of Mount Marilyn was created in a <a href="https://www.blender.org/">3D animation program</a>. The topography was derived from a <a href="http://wms.lroc.asu.edu/lroc/view_rdr/NAC_DTM_MTMARILYN">Digital Terrain Model</a>, and the texture, or shading of the surface, is a <a href="http://wms.lroc.asu.edu/lroc/view_rdr/NAC_ROI_SECCHIMMLOB">NAC mosaic</a>.&nbsp;</p> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="youtube-embed-wrapper" style="height:0; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%; padding-top:30px; position:relative"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oh68mXAWopc?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%" width="640"></iframe></div> <p>NAC stereo observations allow for very high-resolution topographic models (2 to 5 meter pixels), which are great for producing fly-arounds, but also allow for detailed science analysis and future mission planning. Below is a color-shaded relief map of the western side of Mount Marilyn. Hot colors represent higher elevations, while cooler colors indicate lower elevations (minimum elevation =-1600 meters, maximum = 145 meters) [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Color shaded relief map of Mt. Marilyn" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/706/content_DTM_2m_mt_mar._merged_1100pixel.png" /> <figcaption>Color shaded relief map of Mount Marilyn overlain on NAC mosaic. Image width 3300 meters [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>And finally you can admire an oblique image of Mount Marilyn acquired by LROC in 2013. NAC M1138617953LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</p> <p><iframe class="olZoomify" data-fi-zoomify="{&quot;ptifName&quot;:&quot;M1138617953_LRmos_mt_mar_zoomify_20181221_161915&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:22475,&quot;height&quot;:9871,&quot;leftX&quot;:&quot;5880&quot;,&quot;rightX&quot;:&quot;12280&quot;,&quot;topY&quot;:&quot;1420&quot;,&quot;bottomY&quot;:&quot;7800&quot;}" src="/zoomify?image=M1138617953_LRmos_mt_mar_zoomify_20181221_161915&amp;left_x=5880&amp;right_x=12280&amp;top_y=1420&amp;bottom_y=7800" style="width: 100%; height: 700px;"></iframe></p> <p><strong>Related Featured Image:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/863">Mt. Marilyn: Navigating to the Surface</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/484">A Stark Beauty All Its Own</a></p> 2023-08-31 22:38:30 UTC Once in a Super Blue Moon http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1309 Lily Robinthal <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Projection of the Moon as it will appear during the August 31st, 2023 Super Blue Moon" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1343/content_fip_point_persp.png" /> <figcaption>A projection of the&nbsp;LROC Wide Angle Camera (WAC) mosaic showing the Moon as it will appear during the August 30th, 2023 super blue Moon [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>August 2023 is an exciting month for fans of Earth&#39;s only natural satellite. This month, on August 1st and August 30th, we are treated to not one but two full Moons, both of which are super Moons.</p> <p>A full Moon occurs when it is daytime on the entire side of the Moon&nbsp;facing Earth--when the nearside of the Moon is fully illuminated. The Moon completes a full rotation on its axis every 27 days; in other words, a lunar &quot;day&quot;&nbsp;is equivalent to 27 Earth days.&nbsp;This is the same amount of time it takes for the Moon to complete a full orbit around&nbsp;the Earth, which is why we only see one face of the Moon.&nbsp;The phases of the Moon that we see are dictated by how much of the nearside is experiencing&nbsp;daytime.</p> <p>Not all full Moons are created&nbsp;equal, however. Because the Moon&#39;s orbit around the Earth is an ellipse rather than a perfect circle, there are times when the Moon is closer to Earth.&nbsp;A <em><a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/super-full-moon.html">super Moon</a></em> occurs when&nbsp;the Moon is at its closest to Earth--its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/lunar-perigee-apogee.html#:~:text=The%20point%20on%20the%20Moon's,farthest%20away%20is%20the%20apogee."><em>perigee</em></a>.&nbsp;During a super Moon, the Moon can appear around 14% larger and around 30% brighter than it appears when it is at its <em><a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/lunar-perigee-apogee.html#:~:text=The%20point%20on%20the%20Moon's,farthest%20away%20is%20the%20apogee.">apogee</a>, </em>or its furthest point from the Earth.&nbsp;Super Moons occur three or four times a year,&nbsp;one after another.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="A comparison of the visible sizes of a supermoon (left) and a micromoon (right)" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1344/content_point_persp_compare.png" /> <figcaption>Two projections of the LROC WAC mosaic, showing the Moon as it will appear on August 30th (left) and as it will appear during the micro Moon (a full Moon at apogee) on February 24, 2024 (right), scaled to show how their apparent sizes compare [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="Cartoon showing the elliptical orbit of the moon around the earth. The Earth is in the center. To its left is a moon with the label 'perigee' and a scale bar that indicates that at perigee, the moon is 363,300 km away from earth. To the right of the Earth is a moon with the label 'Apogee' and a scale bar showing that the moon is 405,500 km away from earth at apogee. Below the cartoon is a disclaimer that says &quot;Earth-Moon distance is not to scale.&quot;" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1331/content___nasamoonorbit.jpg" /> <figcaption>Illustration of the Moon&#39;s perigee, when it is closest to Earth, and apogee, when it is furthest away. &nbsp;Credit: NASA/JPL</figcaption> </figure> <p>The August 30th&nbsp;super Moon is extra special in that it is the second full Moon in one month. This phenomenon&nbsp;is known as a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/blue-moon.html"><em>blue Moon</em></a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;A blue Moon is not actually blue!&nbsp;The origin of the name is murky.&nbsp;Some think the phrase &quot;once in a blue Moon&quot;&nbsp;was already used to describe&nbsp;an extremely unlikely or absurd event (such as the Moon being blue), and it was later applied to the astronomical phenomenon. Others think there could have been an occurrence of the Moon appearing blue due to ash and smoke from a recent volcanic eruption. There are two astronomical definitions of a blue Moon--it originally meant the third full Moon in an astronomical season of four full Moons; a <em>seasonal blue Moon</em>. The more commonly known definition, referring to&nbsp;a second full Moon in a month,&nbsp;came later and is known as a <em>monthly blue Moon.</em></p> <p>Below is an LROC Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) image&nbsp;M1384303675R, taken during the last blue Moon on August 22nd, 2021, which was a seasonal blue Moon rather than a monthly blue Moon. The image is centered at <a href="https://quickmap.lroc.asu.edu/query?extent=54.7524177%2C21.8903026%2C60.1114442%2C24.6240082&amp;id=lroc&amp;showTerrain=true&amp;queryFeature=0&amp;queryOpts=N4IgLghgRiBcIBMKRAXyA&amp;features=57.71066600%2C23.55237200&amp;layers=NrBsFYBoAZIRnpEBmZcAsjYIHYFcAbAyAbwF8BdC0yioA&amp;proj=16">23.55&deg; N, 57.71 E&deg;</a>, near the north edge of Mare Crisium.&nbsp; [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</p> <p><iframe class="olZoomify" data-fi-zoomify="{&quot;ptifName&quot;:&quot;M1384303675R.map_20230825_144600&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:9937,&quot;height&quot;:55165,&quot;center&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:5876,&quot;y&quot;:-21481},&quot;zoomLevel&quot;:6.026666666666666}" src="/zoomify?image=M1384303675R.map_20230825_144600&amp;center_x=5876&amp;center_y=21481&amp;zoom_level=6.026666666666666" style="width: 100%; height: 700px;"></iframe></p> <p>As the name would suggest, blue Moons are somewhat rare.&nbsp;One of either type&nbsp;occurs once every two or three years.&nbsp;Since LRO launched in 2009, there have been seven&nbsp;blue Moons (including this one).</p> <p>For more information, check out our post on the <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1004">2018 super blue Moon eclipse</a>!</p> 2023-08-26 00:03:25 UTC Mysteries Remain Frozen in our Celestial Backyard http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1255 Holly Brown <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="title image" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1178/content_FIG6d_FIpost.png" /> <figcaption>Traversability conditions and landing site assessment map for the lunar south polar region. The percentage of time that the surface will be illuminated and visible to the Earth is modeled for the expected Artemis timeframe (July 9, 2024 - June 11, 2025) at 500 m/pixel. Ideal conditions for surface activities (&lt;10&deg; slope and &gt;45% sunlight (SUN) and Earth (E) line-of-sight) are indicated by light yellow. Areas indicative of potential water ice on the surface are shown in light pink.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Humankind is <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis-iii">headed back to the Moon</a>, and this time, interest is focused on the <a href="https://bit.ly/42DJhpq">south-polar region</a>. Here the interior of many craters and topographic depressions never see sunlight. These permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) are so <a href="https://bit.ly/3Cs1tYM">cold</a> (down to -415&deg; F or -248&deg; C!) that frozen volatiles, <a href="https://moon.nasa.gov/inside-and-out/composition/water-and-ices/">such as water</a>, can be trapped for hundreds of millions of years. If large frozen water deposits exist within the PSRs, they are a valuable resource for cislunar space exploration.</p> <p>Even with direct evidence of water ice and other volatiles in one permanently shadowed crater, Cabeus, and the variety of data available from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) peering into PSRs, there is still uncertainty about how much water is present, what other frozen resources exist, and the exact locations and depths of the frozen materials. However, identifying locations of water ice is only part of the puzzle: scientists and engineers must find relatively flat landing sites, have plenty of sunlight for power, and are in line-of-sight communication with Earth.</p> <p>To help guide future orbital and landed missions searching for polar volatiles, the LROC science team looked at ten datasets from eight instruments and came up with a relative valuation of resource potential for larger PSRs. However, many PSRs are not easily accessible by a rover (in-situ exploration) and do not have ideal illumination and Earth communication.</p> <p>PSRs with suitable exploration conditions for measurements of in-situ frozen materials were also identified by our study. However, choosing the best landing sites for future missions requires additional observations in PSRs to clarify where water ice is located - both on the surface and buried in the subsurface - and how much of it will be usable.&nbsp;</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="resource ranking" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1176/content_FIG4_FIpost.png" /> <figcaption>The overall resource potential of frozen materials in lunar PSRs. North (left) and south (right) pole PSR volatile ranking thematic maps overlaying <a href="https://www.diviner.ucla.edu/">Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment</a> annual maximum bolometric temperature. Blue PSRs have remote sensing measurements consistent with the presence of water ice.&nbsp; In contrast, orange PSRs are inconsistent with water ice or have a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), inhibiting the interpretation of water ice. PSRs in green have observations of volatiles that are inconsistent between datasets or show a limited potential area consistent with water ice.</figcaption> </figure> <p><a href="http://shadowcam.sese.asu.edu/">ShadowCam</a>, which launched in August 2022, is now mapping PSRs at a scale of 2 meters. ShadowCam is 200 times more sensitive than the camera it is modeled after (the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC)).&nbsp;</p> <p>This improved imaging of the surfaces inside PSRs will enable scientists to search for landforms that may indicate volatile deposits and map obstacles like boulders and craters, reducing travel risk for future landers and rovers. Comparing ShadowCam images of the surface with data from instruments that probe the subsurface will help us interpret water ice locations more precisely.&nbsp;</p> <figure class="img-polaroid"><img alt="shoemaker" src="/ckeditor_assets/pictures/1177/content_FIG2_FIpost.png" /> <figcaption>Long exposure NAC mosaic of a portion of the Shoemaker crater PSR. No albedo patterns indicative of ice, frost, or lag deposits were found here or in any other PSR craters. Lobate landforms in a few PSRs (seen here on crater walls, marked by arrows) may indicate downslope creep processes in an ice-rich regolith. However, this interpretation is highly speculative, and higher-resolution images are required to test this hypothesis [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Read the LROC Team paper, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114874" target="_blank">Resource Potential of Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Read more about water ice in PSRs:</strong><br /> <a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/989">Searching for Ice at the Moon&#39;s Poles</a><br /> <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/979">Casting Light on Permanently Shadowed Regions</a></p> <p><strong>More about ideal polar exploration conditions:</strong><br /> <a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1247">Traversing the Shackleton de Gerlache Ridge</a><br /> <a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1105">Islands in the Dark</a><br /> <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/993">On the Rim!</a><br /> <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/937">Lunar Exploration: Planning The Next Steps</a><br /> <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/271">South Pole Illumination Map</a><br /> <a href="http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/789">Five Years Later: Revisiting an Old Friend</a></p> <p><strong>LROC Educational Activities:</strong><br /> <a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/educators/activities">The Mystery of Lunar Water</a><br /> <a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/posts/1179">Rovers and Mission Planning: New LROC Activity Guides!</a></p> 2023-06-13 16:05:46 UTC