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Credit & Copyright: Galspace
Explanation:
Which moon is this?
Earth's.
Our Moon's unfamiliar appearance is due partly to an
unfamiliar viewing angle as captured by a little-known
spacecraft --
the Soviet Union's
Zond 8 that circled the
Moon in October of 1970.
Pictured above,
the dark-centered circular feature that stands out near the top of the image is
Mare Orientale,
a massive impact basin formed by an ancient collision with an
asteroid.
Mare Orientale
is surrounded by light colored and highly textured highlands.
Across the image bottom lies the dark and expansive
Oceanus Procellarum,
the largest of the dark (but dry) maria that dominate the
side of the Moon
that always
faces toward the Earth.
Originally designed to carry humans, robotic
Zond
8
came within 1000 km of the
lunar surface, took about 100
detailed photographs on film,
and returned them safely to Earth within a week.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Moon - craters
Publications with words: Moon - craters
See also: