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This colorful
topographical map of the Moon is centered on
the lunar farside, the
side not seen from planet Earth.
That view is available
to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter though, as
the spacecraft's wide angle camera images almost the entire lunar surface
every month.
Stereo overlap
of the imaging has allowed the computation of topographical maps
with coverage between 80 degrees north and south latitude.
The results have about a 300 meter resolution on the lunar surface
and 10 to 20 meter elevation accuracy.
Data closer to
the north and south poles is filled in using the
orbiter's laser altimeter.
In this map, white, red, green, and purple represent
progressively lower elevations.
In fact, the large circular splotch
tending to purple hues at the bottom is the farside's
South Pole-Aitken Basin.
About 2500 kilometers in diameter and over 12 kilometers deep, it
is one of the
largest
impact basins in the Solar System.
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day
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2011 November 18
A Colorful Side of the Moon
NASA /
GSFC /
DLR /
Arizona State Univ. /
Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter
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