Featured Images

When the Moon Breaks: Concentric Graben

An oblique view (generated with Quickmap) of Rimae Hippalus, showing the extent of the grabens, which span over 250 kilometers. The image width is roughly 150 kilometers at the bottom, and 500 kilometers on the horizon. The central peak...

Published on 22 Jul 2025

Dome Alone: A Lunar Mystery Near Herodotus Crater

The Herodotus Omega dome rises gradually above the surrounding mare. The large, irregularly shaped depression towards the right is likely a summit pit. Image width is 7.5 kilometers, centered at 20.25°N, 309.93°E [NASA/GSFC/Arizona...

Published on 16 Jul 2025

Mons Rümker and the Moon's Volcanic Past

NAC regional mosaic composed of 10 images showing Mons Rümker and the surrounding mare surface. Images acquired between 2012-06-03 to 2016-04-21. Image width is 299 kilometers, centered at 40.80°N, 301.43°E [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State...

Published on 12 Apr 2025

Dramatic Contrast

The dark rim of Aristarchus crater (23.7°N, 312.5°E) dramatically highlights its bright interior and central peak. There are more than 2700 meters of relief from the rim to the crater floor, and the central peak is 3,000 meters wide...

Published on 01 Dec 2022

Apollo 15: A Mission of Many Firsts

Highlights of the Apollo 15 landing site, as seen in LROC NAC image M175252641R. This image has a resolution of 27 cm/px, and shows an area of 262 m by 186 m. The Lunar Module is clearly visible, as are many tracks from the Lunar Roving...

Published on 30 Jul 2021

First Look: Chang'e 5

Box indicates Chang'e 5 lander on the basaltic plains of Oceanus Procellarum ("Ocean of Storms") on 02 December 2020 09:54 EST (14:53:55 UTC). The lander is the bright spot in the center of the outline. Image is 1210 meters wide; north...

Published on 04 Dec 2020

Apennine Bench Formation: A Window into Ancient Volcanism

LROC Wide Angle Camera (WAC) 100 m/px mosaic with 6 colorized Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) of the Apennine Bench Formation (centered near 26° N, 356° E - here in Quickmap), an enigmatic light plains unit located on the central lunar...

Published on 29 Jun 2020

Rilles and Rilles: Sinuous, Straight, and Arcuate

Rilles are all over the Moon! Controlled feature mosaics help us see these features with great detail. Pictured: Rimae Sulpicious Gallus (20°N Lat, 10°E Lon), Rima Sharp (46°N Lat, 309°E Lon), Rima Cauchy (10°N Lat, 38°E Lon)...

Published on 30 Apr 2020

The West Side of Plato Crater

Western Plato crater (at right) and the geologically complex region west of its rim — part of a controlled and corrected mosaic made up of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images. The late afternoon...

Published on 18 Jan 2019

Montes Carpatus

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...

Published on 08 Mar 2018

NAC Anaglyph: Rima Sharp

A bend in Rima Sharp, a sinuous rille that can be traced more than 250 km and spans the boundary between mare-filled Sinus Roris (to the north) and Oceanus Procellarum (to the south)  [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 26 Jan 2018

NAC Anaglyph: Rima Sharp

The floor of Rima Sharp, a sinuous rille, is broad and relatively flat [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 13 Jan 2017

NAC Anaglyph: Orientale Rille

A sinuous rille in the Orientale basin exhibits fresh exposures where landslides have occurred along steep portions of the walls [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 18 Nov 2016

NAC Anaglyph: Planck B Fractures

Undulating floor dissected by fractures (or rilles) in Planck B crater [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 05 Feb 2016

NAC Anaglyph: Aristarchus Rille

Vallis Schroeteri, a large lunar rille, winds its way across the Aristarchus Plateau. At this location, Vallis Schroeteri is nearly 4.5 km across! Note the smaller, more sinuous rille nested within the larger rille [NASA/GSFC/Arizona...

Published on 13 Nov 2015

NAC Anaglyph: Alpes Rille

Sinuous rille -- check out this lunar lava channel [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 09 Oct 2015

NAC Anaglyph: Orientale Basin Rille

The sinuous valleys of a rille wind their way through part of Orientale basin [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 26 Jun 2015

Exploring the Lunar Subsurface

What a great place to explore! Two collapsed segments of a lava tube run from the southwest to the northeast. These collapsed segments may provide access to the subsurface, which has never been directly sampled. The average width of the...

Published on 05 Nov 2014

A Tortuous Path in Posidonius

This may look like a work of abstract art, but in reality, it's for science! This colorful image is an LROC slope map of the northwestern portion of the floor of Posidonius crater. Warmer colors indicate steeper slopes, whereas cooler...

Published on 31 Jul 2014

Birt E

Birt E crater is thought to be the source region for lava that carved out Rima Birt, a rille in Mare Nubium. This mare is older than 3.4 billion years, and so is this vent! LROC NAC M1144849711LR with the a color DTM overlaid; North is...

Published on 15 Jul 2014