This NASA Video Tour of the Moon in 4K Is Simply Breathtaking

[RAnDOOm]

The Apollo 17 landing site cameos in a new video from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) are not only helping planners with future human missions to the moon, but they are also revealing new information about the moon's evolution and structure.

A new NASA video, posted on YouTube, features more than half a dozen locations of interest in stunning 4K resolution, much of it courtesy of LRO data. NASA also highlighted the individual sites in a Tumblr post that delves deeper into their geology, morphology and significance.LRO has been circling the moon since 2009 and has made a range of discoveries at Earth's closest large celestial neighbor. [More Amazing Moon Photos from NASA's LRO]

The orbiter has found regions of possible ice in permanently shadowed regions of the moon, inside sheltered craters and caves. It provides elevation data and mineralogical mapping to help scientists better understand the age of craters, lava basins and other features on the moon. And it also acts as a scout for future human missions. That role came into focus late in 2017, when the Trump administration tasked NASA with heading back to the moon before journeying to Mars.

Future landing missions could take advantage of mountain peaks or crater rims at the moon's north pole, the video's narrator explains during the lunar tour. LRO scientists have modeled the sunlight in these regions across centuries of time. By zooming in on the spots with consistent sun exposure, mission planners can put solar panels there to support future human missions.

Full article here: https://www.space.com/40274-nasa-moon-in-4k-video-tour.html