NASA‘s Highest Resolution Map of the Moon Is ’Phenomenal’
- Posted on November 17, 2011 at 4:12pm by
Liz Klimas
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Color shaded relief of the moon. (Photo: NASA/GSFC/DLR/Arizona State University)
With a pixel scale close to 100 meters (328 feet), this is the highest resolution near-global topographic map of the moon ever.
Created by Arizona State University in Tempe, which oversees the imaging system on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), this Global Lunar DTM 100 m topographic model is a first, since previous missions had lower quality instruments. NASA’s press release states this map was created using LRO Wide Angle Camera and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) instrument:
“Our new topographic view of the moon provides the dataset that lunar scientists have waited for since the Apollo era,” says Mark Robinson, Principal Investigator of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) from Arizona State University in Tempe. “We can now determine slopes of all major geologic terrains on the moon at 100 meter scale. Determine how the crust has deformed, better understand impact crater mechanics, investigate the nature of volcanic features, and better plan future robotic and human missions to the moon.”
[...]
The LROC imaging system consists of two Narrow Angle Cameras (NACs) to provide high-resolution images, and the WAC to provide 100-meter resolution images in seven color bands over a 57-kilometer (35-mile) swath.
The WAC is a relatively small instrument, easily fitting into the palm of one’s hand; however, despite its diminutive size it maps nearly the entire moon every month. Each month the moon’s lighting has changed so the WAC is continuously building up a record of how different rocks reflect light under different conditions, and adding to the LROC library of stereo observations.
Left: LROC Wide Angle Camera attached to a test setup shortly before mounting on the spacecraft. Right: WAC being handed up to engineers for integration with LRO (Photo: M. Robinson via Arizona State University).
The map covers 98. 2 percent of the surface of the moon. The small percentage left, NASA states, is at the poles where shadows prevent images.
The scientists say they believe this new map will be a powerful tool for them in interpreting the events that have helped shape the moon.
Shades of grey represent elevation. Darker shades are low levels, while lighter shades are higher elevations. (Photo: NASA/GSFC/DLR/Arizona State University)
This is a color shaded relief of the images to the left. (Photo: (NASA/GSFC/DLR/Arizona State University)
“Collecting the data and creating the new topographic map was a huge collaborative effort between the LRO project, the LOLA team, the LROC team at ASU and in Germany at the DLR,” says Robinson. “I could not be more pleased with the quality of the map – it’s phenomenal! The richness of detail should inspire lunar geologists around the world for years to come.”
[H/T GeekOSystem]
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SC 11 BRAVO
Posted on November 20, 2011 at 12:11amI‘m pretty sure I saw this image in my last eye test for ’color blindness” at the DMV,, I see the number 69 ,,,, can a renew my license now?
Report Post »Gumbercules
Posted on November 19, 2011 at 1:38amSo we have some super awesome pictures of the moon, but Google earth images still suck.
Report Post »MR_ANDERSON
Posted on November 19, 2011 at 8:28amYes, but we only have one side of the moon…or do we?
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on November 19, 2011 at 8:42pmThat’s our moon? I thought I was looking at a graphic of our economy.
Report Post »thinkinmind
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 3:29pmWhat is interesting to me is all the craters over the surface of the moon. Comparing the moon size with the earth it would seem the earth as being a easier target for ateroids to hit than the moon but apparently the moon took most of the direct hits.
Report Post »C-Delta Conductor
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 3:47pm@ thinkinmind
The Earth has taken just as many meteorite hits as the Moon; however, erosion, volcanism, and plate tectonics have removed most of the evidence of those craters on Earth’s surface, while no such forces exist on the Moon. Moreover, the atmosphere on the Earth burns up most small space junk that would impact the surface of the Moon.
Report Post »AgentP
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:05pmuh, I think our vegetation and erosion cover and erase ours. if we had no atmosphere, earth would more visibly be pockmarked too. only the huge ones survive for a long time…..and algore says global warming will ruin all of our craters.
Report Post »wbalzley
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:57pmThe real amazing thing is that a device that can fit in the PALM OF YOUR HAND is able to map nearly the entire surface of a celestial body with fairly high resolution from millions of miles away. Think about what this means…
Report Post »mocon
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:34pmThese are much better than Gursky’s photo.
Report Post »gdog1111111
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 11:32amIt is so reassuring just knowing that our tax dollars have been and is being so well spent with all these space explorations. After all, they use all their discoveries to benefit us regular Joes and Joannes and not to benfit themselves..god bless us everyone Tiny Tim.
Report Post »wbalzley
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:01pmEver use Velcro? Drink Tang? Eat dehydrated food? Bounce a signal off a satellite?
Report Post »AgentP
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:07pmand I love my memory foam mattress…fresh from the space program.
Report Post »ROMANS 10-9
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 11:15amI own to Moon, Prove me wrong!
Report Post »wbalzley
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:54pmNO. I own it…prove ME wrong!
Report Post »UUes
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 11:08amIt really is made of Cheese!
Report Post »Cabo King
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 10:16ammaybe we can ask the chinese for a ride back there some day
Report Post »AsKaGeeK
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 11:19amEdZachary
Report Post »jas0707
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:22amA Chinese Flag is visible.
Report Post »wbalzley
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:03pmNo, that‘s just a reflection off the giant TARGETING DISH we put there back in the 1970’s. Preparing to fire in 3, 2, 1…
Report Post »the point
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:08amIf you zoom in real close , you can see Obama’s hut.
Report Post »HawkEyeTx
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 8:52am#
Report Post »Okay… and how does this help us?
80mesh
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 8:29amnow we can see the alien bases on the dark side
Report Post »LetUsReason
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:07pmThe moon has no “dark side”. It undergoes transitions of light and darkness (referred to as moon phases) just like the other side. It’s simply the side of the moon that never rotates our way so we can view it from Earth, more accurately termed the back side of the moon. I’ve always thought it strange that the moon rotates on its axis in such a way that only one side of the moon is ever visible from Earth. As far as I’m aware, it is the only celestial body we know of that does such. It seems unnatural, huh? Anyway…
Report Post »Bill in Texas
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:12pmIf you look close you can see where Megatron is camped out. lol
Report Post »cudmaster
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 6:08pm@LETUSREASON, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking pretty common, but no less awesome for it.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 7:29amNasa is LYING.
They can take high resolution images of objects deep in space, but we don’t have any high-resolution COLOR images or video of the surface of the moon?
I’m talking they can see a license plate at the bottom of the ocean, but they can‘t give me any higher resolution images of the moon’s surface… after ALL these years and all that technology…
They’re LYING. There‘s something on the moon they don’t want us to know about.
Report Post »Go Glenn
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 11:57amProbably right.
Afterall, if we could see the surface, we might determine that they lied about going there in the first place.
We did supposedly leave thing there………….I want to see them.
Report Post »LetUsReason
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:09pm@ V-MAN
You are 100% correct, and I‘m surprised that more people aren’t talking about this. It’s true. And in regards to the other comment, I believe the moon landing was real. However, I don’t believe it was a “first landing”, nor a last for that matter.
Report Post »wbalzley
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:14pmI know that we have been to the moon. I also know that when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were up there they placed more than just a flag and some footprints. They also set up a series of mirrors to test our laser targeting capabilities.
The reason I know this is because I have a friend who helped BUILD the lasers being tested. According to him, they would fir a laser in one city, bounce it off a mirror on the moon, and back to earth in another city. They came within 6 inches of their intended targets (Better than Expected). This was the beginning of what became the Star Wars project.
Report Post »lwpenn
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 3:42pmWhat they do not want us to see is what is not there. Google maps show nice pictures of the moon but fuzzy pictured landing sights, why?
Report Post »Micmac
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 4:20amDon’t you mean when Russia and China visit the moon?
NoBama 2012
Report Post »Reboot Washington
ProudTeaPartyMember
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 4:14amI wonder how much money, in the form of our taxes, it took to take these photos.
Report Post »Twobyfour
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 4:46amI‘d say that’s money spent well. It may come handy some day.
However, as NASA gets and spends money on muslim outreach, that‘s a different story and I’d have no issue with you bringing that up.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 11:30amBetter spent then on Solyndra or GM!!! At least we actually have results that can benefit someone…..
Report Post »WordTickler
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 3:14amSo with a resolution of 328 feet, we should now be able to see all the equipment left by the Apollo missions–even the American flag that was left by Apollo 11, right? Where is the shot of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module? This is our big chance to put all the naysayers to silence–you know, the one who say we did not land on the moon.
Report Post »Twobyfour
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 4:35am“So with a resolution of 328 feet, we should now be able to see all the equipment left by the Apollo missions–even the American flag that was left by Apollo 11, right?”
That’s an interesting, yet puzzling assumption. Given that 328 feet is represented by one pixel, I’d have to say no. You’d be able to discern features size of a small city block. To see the flag as a shape, you’d need 2 feet resolution.
Report Post »poster
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 8:32amThat wouldn’t solve anything. The idiots would just say the stuff was Photoshopped in.
Report Post »SageInWaiting
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:41amYou would need a resolution at least twice that of the item you are looking for. If the flag were 4 ft long, 2 ft resolution would be about right, giving you 4 pixels (2×2 matrix) to help identify it. (I base this on digital signal processing: a sampling rate of at least twice the maximum frequency of you want to analyze is required.)
Report Post »rsg1776
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 10:04amThe LRO was moved into a lower orbit to capture just exactly the images you are looking for… http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/apollo-sites.html
Report Post »blaaaaackwoman
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:32amThey need to put that online like google earth so you can zoom in and look for any tale-tell piles of turds that would indicate life on the moon.
Report Post »Grell
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:21amThat’s awesome. We need stuff like this to get the public enthusiastic about space exploration again.
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 5:35amI‘m sure it’s in all the Chinese school books.
Report Post »SUMTHINSTINKS
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:05amWhere’s the CHEESE? I DON’T SEE THE CHEESE! Someone must’ve cut the CHEESE!!!
Report Post »tony k
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:52amMaybe its a picture locating the H3 compound that they want to mine on the moon, You know the stuff that one ton of would power half the homes in the US for a year!
Report Post »vtxphantom
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 12:11amLooks like a neat place to explore. I hope we are going to go there again, and not just launch chairs into space.
Report Post »LetUsReason
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 10:53amPeople are already there and have been there even before we supposedly landed there for the first time. Why have we never gone back? Isn’t it strange? Why has no other country made a landing? Why are modern images of the moon poorer quality now than NASA’s first images? Why is the back side of the moon still largely unknown? We can look deep into space, but our very close next door neighbor is still mysteriously kept from us. The fact is that there are bases (mostly on the back side which never faces the earth), and evidences of structures have been shown on some images. Dig a little. It wasn’t a “first landing” and we never actually left.
Report Post »sheerterror
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:56pmI think that last picture is the zuccotti cough.
Report Post »TyrannyNoMore
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:40pmHey, I think I see the body of Alice Kramden !
Report Post »FearlessInfedel62
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 1:50amThanks TYRANN- I needed a good laugh!
Report Post »thefirebuilds
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 9:40amOften I read comments and wonder just why in the hell I bother, but that sir, was brilliant.
Report Post »G man
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 10:11amlolololol…
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