Hubble Space Telescope Looks at the Moon to Prospect for Resources (Aristarchus Crater - color)

  • Released Monday, October 17, 2005
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The Hubble Space Telescope looked at specific areas of the moon prospecting for important minerals that may aid future sustained human presence on the moon. Initial analysis of the data indicate the likely presence of titanium and iron oxides. These minerals can be sources of oxygen, essential for human exploration. This visualization starts with a view of the moon as seen from Earth using a USGS Apollo derived artist rendered texture (airbrushed). The camera then zooms into the Aristarchus crater region. Clementine derived simulated topography is shown around the outside and HST color imagery is shown filling most of the view. The camera then flies into the crater site using using simulated topgraphy and then over to Schroter's Valley.

This visualization is match rendered with animation 3274 so that the color version can be dissolved in or out as needed. The colors are from these HST filter bands: RED = 502/250 nm ratio, GREEN = 502 nm (green), BLUE = 250/502 nm ratio. In the image, blues are—in principle—higher in ilmenite.

Push in and fly-around of HST color imagery of Aristarchus Crater

HST color imagery of Aristarchus Crater draped over simulated topography

HST color imagery of Aristarchus Crater draped over simulated topography

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Additional credit to Zoltan G. Levay (STScI)

This page was originally published on Monday, October 17, 2005.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:56 PM EDT.

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