This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of utilise.

You take undoubtedly seen the moon, just have you lot e'er seen information technology up close in glorious 4K resolution? Probably not, but you can see it right now on YouTube. NASA has uploaded a new video, created mostly from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) observations. The video takes you on a bout of several different regions, some of which still nowadays tantalizing mysteries for future exploration.

The LRO has been orbiting the moon since 2009, sending back the highest quality images we've ever had of the lunar surface. The spacecraft'southward master imaging device consists of several dissimilar cameras, all of which have contributed to the new video. There are ii narrow-angle cameras that can capture images a 0.5-meter calibration across a three.1 mile (v kilometers) swath of the surface. The wide-angle camera can capture 100-meter calibration images in seven colour bands across a 37.2 mile (lx kilometers) expanse.

The new 4K video takes you on a virtual tour of some of the nigh interesting areas of the moon. It might be a lifeless chunk of rock, but that doesn't mean it can't likewise be fascinating. For example, there's the Orientale Basin, a giant preserved impact crater the size of Texas. The video includes topographic data from LRO and gravity measurements from the GRAIL spacecraft. The Orientale Basin might be big, simply it's not the biggest crater on the moon. That laurels goes to the South Pole-Aitken Basin featured later in the video. Information technology'due south hiding over on the night side of the moon, with a diameter of more i,300 miles (two,200 kilometers).

On the well-nigh side of the moon is a smaller crater called Tycho — it'south 1 of the most famous structures on the moon. You can see the crater structure in astounding item thanks to the LRO data. Information technology's only 100 million years sometime, so the central peak is even so quite visible. At that place's also a strange boulder in the heart, the origin of which is still unknown.

The video likewise includes loftier-resolution images of the Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus-Littrow valley. The resolution is so high, you can make out the tracks left by the rover. The lander's platform is nonetheless sitting there as well.

The data used to make this video is the same data NASA volition rely upon equally it plans future lunar surface exploration, possibly including manned missions. NASA has a Tumblr post with details on all the sites covered in the video. In other news, NASA has a Tumblr page. Who knew?