Featured Images

New Crater!

Four different NAC images of crater (18 meter diameter) formed on the Moon, 17 March 2013, each scene is 560 meters wide, north is up [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 14 Dec 2013

Station 6 - Apollo 17

Station 6 allowed Apollo 17 astronauts to explore a collection of boulders and regolith that represents the rocks from the mighty North Massif. Five large boulder fragments lie at the base of a long boulder trail, all from a single...

Published on 13 Dec 2013

A Great Place to Rove!

Sinus Iridum area of the Moon - it is likely that China will land a rover near Laplace A crater before the end of the year! Arrow shows location of Soviet Lunokhod 1 rover, LROC WAC mosaic is 360 km wide [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State...

Published on 22 Nov 2013

Making an Impact on History

LROC NAC image (M153014430L) of the Ranger 7 impact crater (bright crater near top center) in Mare Cognitum located at 339.323°E, 10.634°S. The crater is 14 meters in diameter; image width is 400 m. [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 07 Nov 2013

Diversity of Basaltic Lunar Volcanism

A diverse range of volcanic morphologies: a sinuous rille, blocky lava flows, and pyroclastic cones found in a portion of the controlled LROC NAC mosaic "NAC_ROI_MARIUS_ _LOC_E138N3037" centered on 303.861°E, 13.476°N; image is...

Published on 05 Nov 2013

LROC Coordinates of Robotic Spacecraft - 2013 Update

Luna 17, the spacecraft that carried the Lunokhod 1 rover to the surface. You can make out the rover tracks around the lander. LROC NAC image M175502049RE [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 24 Sep 2013

Surveyor Crater, Before and After

Another look at the Apollo 12 and Surveyor 3 landing site. See the full description for comparison with a Lunar Orbiter image of the same area taken 45 years ago! Image width is 470 meters [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 09 Jul 2013

March of Time

Small white blotch with black center (in center of image) is likely a new impact crater formed during the LRO mission. Inset in lower left (38 meters wide) shows 4x enlargement. NAC M1117799545, 480 meters wide [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State...

Published on 20 May 2013

Impact!

The twin GRAIL spacecraft impacted the Moon on 17 December 2012, LROC was able to image the impact craters on 28 February 2013 showing them both to be about 5 meters in diameter. Upper panels show the area before the impact; lower...

Published on 19 Mar 2013

Taurus Littrow Valley, West-To-East

The magnificent Taurus Littrow valley seen obliquely from west-to-east by the LROC NAC. The Apollo 17 crew briefly explored portions of this valley 40 years ago this month. M1096343661LR, image ~10 km across the center...

Published on 19 Dec 2012

Ebb and Flow Finale

The two GRAIL spacecraft, Ebb and Flow, as imaged by the LROC NAC in lunar orbit at different times (A on 7th October, B on 8th October 2012) [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 17 Dec 2012

Surveyor 7 - America's Last Lunar Unmanned Lander

Surveyor 7, sitting on the ejecta blanket of Tycho Crater, was the last spacecraft of the Surveyor series, and the only to land in the lunar highlands. NAC M175355093L, image width is 500 m. Inset is zoomed 4x [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State...

Published on 07 Sep 2012

Question Answered!

LRO slewed 19° down-Sun allowing the illuminated side of the still standing American flag to be captured at the Apollo 17 landing site. M113751661L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 27 Jul 2012

Astronaut's Eye View of Apollo 16 Site

Oblique LROC NAC image of the Apollo 16 landing site, viewpoint is east to west.  South Ray crater is center left and North Ray crater is center right, distance between two crater centers is 10.5 km. LROC NAC M192817484LR...

Published on 19 Jun 2012

Orion, Up Close

Low orbit view of Apollo 16 landing site, image width 250 meters, M175179080 [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 23 Apr 2012

Mare Crisium: Failure then Success

Luna 24 landed on the northwestern rim of a 64 m diameter impact crater, on the volcanic plains of Mare Crisium. Enlargement of lander at lower left, NAC M174868307L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 16 Mar 2012

Lunokhod 1 Revisited

Lunokhod 1 rover in its final parking place (38.315°N, 324.992°E) on the surface of Mare Imbrium. The inset in the lower left shows an expanded view of the rover. LROC NAC image M175502049RE. [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 14 Mar 2012

Lunokhod 2 Revisited

Lunokhod 2 rover parked facing southeast with the lid still open. Rover tracks extend north to the final parking place. The inset is a zoomed in view of the rover, the main rover body is labeled B, the open lid is labeled L and the...

Published on 13 Mar 2012

How Young is Young?

Area on the southeastern rim of North Ray crater, explored by Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charlie Duke, revealed in the new low altitude LROC image M175179080LR. Image is 300 meters wide, black arrows show foot tracks...

Published on 08 Mar 2012

Skimming the Moon

Low periapsis Narrow Angle Camera image of the Apollo 17 Landing Site. Image is 150 meters wide, Sun from the left, north towards top [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 06 Sep 2011