{ "id": 40372, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/moonpole/", "page_type": "Gallery", "title": "The Moon's South Pole", "description": "This is a collection of the media resources available on the Scientific Visualization Studio website related to the south pole of the Moon, an area of special interest for future exploration. It has been studied intensively by every instrument aboard Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). It includes cold, permanently shadowed craters that have collected water and other volatiles and shielded them from the Sun. Its rugged terrain also offers temperate high spots with persistent sunshine ideal for continuous solar power generation. More information and media are available at\nLRO Camera Images (search for south pole)\nLRO Diviner temperature measurements\nLyman-Alpha Map\n", "release_date": "2019-05-10T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2022-09-15T00:00:00-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 414121, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004500/a004574/frost.0720_print.jpg", "filename": "frost.0720_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A view of the south pole of the Moon showing where reflectance and temperature data indicate the possible presence of surface water ice. This is the source visualization, without titles or sound.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 }, "media_groups": [ { "id": 371349, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/moonpole/#media_group_371349", "widget": "Basic text (large)", "title": "Overview", "caption": "", "description": "

This is a collection of the media resources available on the Scientific Visualization Studio website related to the south pole of the Moon, an area of special interest for future exploration. It has been studied intensively by every instrument aboard Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). It includes cold, permanently shadowed craters that have collected water and other volatiles and shielded them from the Sun. Its rugged terrain also offers temperate high spots with persistent sunshine ideal for continuous solar power generation. More information and media are available at

\n", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 371350, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/moonpole/#media_group_371350", "widget": "Card gallery", "title": "Water", "caption": "", "description": "", "items": [ { "id": 410954, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4574, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4574/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Temperature, Reflectance Point to Frost near the Moon's Poles", "description": "A view of the south pole of the Moon showing where reflectance and temperature data indicate the possible presence of surface water ice. Includes music and narration. Music by Killer Tracks: Full Charge - Zubin Thakkar. || 4574_LROMoonFrost_YouTube.00780_print.jpg (1024x576) [236.8 KB] || 4574_LROMoonFrost_YouTube.mp4 (1920x1080) [75.8 MB] || 4574_LROMoonFrost_Facebook.mp4 (1280x720) [65.4 MB] || 4574_LROMoonFrost_Twitter.mp4 (1280x720) [11.8 MB] || 4574_LROMoonFrost_Facebook.webm (1280x720) [5.2 MB] || 4574_LROMoonFrost_MASTER.mov (1920x1080) [639.4 MB] || 4574_LroMoonFrost_Captions.en_US.srt [761 bytes] || 4574_LroMoonFrost_Captions.en_US.vtt [774 bytes] || 4574_LROMoonFrost_YouTube.mp4.hwshow [191 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2017-05-31T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T00:09:52.618895-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 414121, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004500/a004574/frost.0720_print.jpg", "filename": "frost.0720_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A view of the south pole of the Moon showing where reflectance and temperature data indicate the possible presence of surface water ice. This is the source visualization, without titles or sound.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410955, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4057, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4057/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LEND Looks for Water at the South Pole", "description": "Since Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) entered lunar orbit in 2009, its neutron detector, LEND, has been counting the neutrons coming from the Moon's surface.Neutrons are created when galactic cosmic rays strike atoms in the lunar regolith. These neutrons bounce from atom to atom like billiard balls, losing energy with each collision. Along the way, some of these neutrons escape into space, where LEND can detect them.The presence of hydrogen in the lunar soil reduces the number of neutrons that escape. To map out likely deposits of water ice, LEND scientists look for this deficit of neutrons in the epithermal (medium) energy range.If the deficit were simply due to random fluctuations, the hydrogen map would never coalesce into a sharp image, but as this animation shows, the map of epithermal neutron deficit at the south pole of the Moon improves over time and converges on particular spots. These include especially strong signals in the permanently shadowed parts of Cabeus and Shoemaker craters, where ice would be completely shielded from the sun. But LEND and other missions have found signs of water in places that aren't permanently shadowed while apparently excluding some places that are, both of which are surprising and exciting discoveries. || ", "release_date": "2013-03-25T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-01-05T22:20:45.147058-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 467193, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004000/a004057/lend.2180_print.jpg", "filename": "lend.2180_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "We follow LRO to the south pole and watch as the LEND instrument integrates neutron counts over the three years from July 2009 to June 2012.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410956, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 11292, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11292/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Water on the Moon", "description": "Since the 1960’s, scientists have suspected that frozen water could survive in cold, dark craters at the Moon’s poles. While previous lunar missions have detected hints of water on the Moon, new data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) pinpoints areas near the south pole where water is likely to exist. The key to this discovery is hydrogen, the main ingredient in water: LRO uses its Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector, or LEND, to measure how much hydrogen is trapped within the lunar soil. By combining years of LEND data, scientists see mounting evidence of hydrogen-rich areas near the Moon’s south pole, strongly suggesting the presence of frozen water. || ", "release_date": "2013-06-03T11:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:07.222946-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 464774, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011200/a011292/G2013-013_LEND_Water_MASTER_youtube_hq01459_print.jpg", "filename": "G2013-013_LEND_Water_MASTER_youtube_hq01459_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "LRO’s Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) has accumulated new evidence of water at the south pole of the Moon. By combining years of LEND data, scientists see a consistent pattern of hydrogen-rich soil thought to indicate the presence of frozen water.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410957, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4619, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4619/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Tour of the Moon 4K Redux", "description": "The camera flies over the lunar terrain, coming in for close looks at a variety of interesting sites and some of the LRO data associated with them. Includes narration, music, feature titles, research sources, and the location and scale of the image center. Music Provided By Killer Tracks: \"Never Looking Back\" - Frederick Wiedmann. \"Flying over Turmoil\" - Benjamin Krause & Scott Goodman.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.This video is also available on the SVS YouTube channel. || narrated.1000_print.jpg (1024x576) [197.1 KB] || moontour_narrated_1080p30.webm (1920x1080) [40.4 MB] || moontour_narrated_1080p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [458.9 MB] || moontour_narrated.en_US.srt [5.9 KB] || moontour_narrated.en_US.vtt [5.9 KB] || moontour_narrated_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [1.4 GB] || moontour_narrated_2160p30_prores.mov (3840x2160) [18.1 GB] || ", "release_date": "2018-04-09T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-04-17T13:43:06-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 407004, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004619/tour.1000_print.jpg", "filename": "tour.1000_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The camera flies over the lunar terrain, coming in for close looks at a variety of interesting sites and some of the LRO data associated with them. Includes feature titles, research sources, and the location and scale of the image center.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410958, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3480, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3480/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Lunar Prospector Hydrogen Concentration - South Pole", "description": "In 1998 NASA's Lunar Prospector mission used the presence of hydrogen as a sign of potential ice deposits. As you can see in this video, Prospector data showed significantly more hydrogen at the south pole of the moon (areas colored blue). Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will build on this data and narrow down the regions that may contain water ice deposits. || ", "release_date": "2008-09-30T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:55:04.018765-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 501777, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003400/a003480/prospector.0001.jpg", "filename": "prospector.0001.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows evidence of high concentrations of hydrogen at the south pole of the Moon.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 371351, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/moonpole/#media_group_371351", "widget": "Card gallery", "title": "Permanent Shadows", "caption": "", "description": "", "items": [ { "id": 410959, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4893, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4893/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Shadows near the Moon's South Pole", "description": "This video shows the movement of shadows near the Moon's South Pole, over the course of two lunar days, which is approximately two months on Earth. The visualization was created from data gathered by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “Two Horizons” – Anthony d’AmarioWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_Thumbnail1.jpg (1920x1080) [381.7 KB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_Thumbnail1_print.jpg (1024x576) [133.0 KB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_YouTubeHD.webm (1920x1080) [10.8 MB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_YouTubeHD.mp4 (1920x1080) [157.1 MB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_FacebookHD.mp4 (1920x1080) [118.7 MB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_CAPTIONS.en_US.srt [1.3 KB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_CAPTIONS.en_US.vtt [1.3 KB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_MASTER.mov (1920x1080) [1.3 GB] || ShadowsMoonSouthPole_FacebookHD.mp4.hwshow || ", "release_date": "2021-04-01T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-06-23T00:12:57.307766-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 379370, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004800/a004893/moon.1500_print.jpg", "filename": "moon.1500_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Visualization only (No audio, no icons)", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410960, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4770, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4770/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "From Apollo Sites To The South Pole", "description": "Beginning on the near side of the Moon, with the Apollo sites marked, the view quickly moves to the South Pole and zooms in to show the changing illumination conditions there for an entire year. || pole.0126_print.jpg (1024x576) [63.6 KB] || pole.0126_searchweb.png (320x180) [32.6 KB] || pole.0126_thm.png (80x40) [3.1 KB] || apollo_to_south_pole_1080p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [86.6 MB] || apollo_to_south_pole_720p30.mp4 (1280x720) [44.9 MB] || apollo_to_south_pole_720p30.webm (1280x720) [20.0 MB] || apollo (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || apollo_to_south_pole_360p30.mp4 (640x360) [16.2 MB] || apollo (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || apollo_to_south_pole_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [354.9 MB] || ", "release_date": "2020-07-20T09:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-06-23T00:10:15.422640-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 389500, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004700/a004770/pole.0126_print.jpg", "filename": "pole.0126_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Beginning on the near side of the Moon, with the Apollo sites marked, the view quickly moves to the South Pole and zooms in to show the changing illumination conditions there for an entire year.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410961, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 11218, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11218/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "The Moon's Permanently Shadowed Regions", "description": "As you watch the Moon over the course of a month, you'll notice that different features are illuminated by the Sun at different times. However, there are some parts of the Moon that never see sunlight. These areas are called permanently shadowed regions, and they appear dark because unlike on the Earth, the axis of the Moon is nearly perpendicular to the direction of the sun's light. The result is that the bottoms of certain craters are never pointed toward the Sun, with some remaining dark for over two billion years. However, thanks to new data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, we can now see into these dark craters in incredible detail. || ", "release_date": "2013-03-06T11:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:20.770205-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 467534, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011200/a011218/G2013-007_Perma_Shadows_MASTER_youtube_hq00502_print.jpg", "filename": "G2013-007_Perma_Shadows_MASTER_youtube_hq00502_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Deep in the craters of the Moon's south pole lurk permanently shadowed regions: areas that have not seen sunlight in over two billion years. Now, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is shedding a new light on some of our satellite's darkest mysteries.For complete transcript, click here.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410962, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4043, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4043/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LRO Peers into Permanent Shadows", "description": "The Moon's permanently shadowed regions, or PSRs, are places on the Moon that haven't seen the Sun in millions, or even billions, of years. The Earth's tilted axis allows sunlight to fall everywhere on its surface, even at the poles, for at least part of the year. But the Moon's tilt relative to the Sun is only 1.6°, not enough to get sunlight into some deep craters near the lunar north and south poles. PSRs are therefore some of the coldest, darkest places in the solar system.Because of that, PSRs are expected to be excellent traps for volatiles, chemicals that would normally vaporize and escape into space, and this includes water. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) includes several instruments designed to peer into the PSR darkness and measure temperature, reflectivity, and neutron absorption, all of which are clues to what chemicals might be hiding there. This animation shows where the PSRs are and in what ways LRO can see inside them. || ", "release_date": "2013-03-06T11:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:20.595975-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 468217, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004000/a004043/shot1_on.0420.jpg", "filename": "shot1_on.0420.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Beginning with a full-frame Moon, the camera flies to the lunar south pole and shows areas of permanent shadow. Realistic shadows evolve through several months.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 410963, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4716, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4716/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Visualizing Shackleton Crater", "description": "A visualization of Shackleton crater. The near (Earth-facing) side of the Moon is to the right. In the false-color elevation on the left, red is higher and blue is lower. || shackleton_split_final_print.jpg (1024x1024) [280.9 KB] || shackleton_split_final_searchweb.png (320x180) [87.2 KB] || shackleton_split_final_thm.png (80x40) [7.1 KB] || shackleton_split_final.tif (3600x3600) [12.8 MB] || ", "release_date": "2012-06-21T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:59.674016-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 475261, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004700/a004716/shackleton_split_final_print.jpg", "filename": "shackleton_split_final_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A visualization of Shackleton crater. The near (Earth-facing) side of the Moon is to the right. In the false-color elevation on the left, red is higher and blue is lower.", "width": 1024, "height": 1024, "pixels": 1048576 } } }, { "id": 410964, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3577, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3577/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Permanent Shadows on the Moon", "description": "As the Earth and Moon orbit around the Sun, there are places on the Moon that never receive direct sunlight. Most of these permanently shadowed regions are at the lunar poles. This animation approximates the permanently shadowned regions pertaining to the Moon's south pole by maintaining a maximum sun angle to the surface of 1.5 degrees. These permanently shadowed areas are of interest because they could hold water ice. (NOTE: South Pole Digital Elevation Maps [DEM] based on publically released JAXA/Selene data.) || ", "release_date": "2009-05-12T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-01-05T22:01:58.235930-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 498313, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003500/a003577/permshadows_v03.1950.jpg", "filename": "permshadows_v03.1950.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This sample composite combines all the animation elements listed below to visually tell the story of permanent shadows on the Moon. The aquamarine areas highlight the permanently shadowed regions.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 371352, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/moonpole/#media_group_371352", "widget": "Tile gallery", "title": "Topography", "caption": "", "description": "", "items": [ { "id": 410965, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 5013, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5013/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Artemis III Landing Region Candidates", "description": "This narrated movie introduces Artemis III, reveals the mission's 13 candidate landing regions near the lunar South Pole, and briefly discusses some of the criteria that narrowed the selection to these regions.Music provided by Universal Production Music: Best Days to Come – Matteo Pagamici and Max Molling.This video can also be viewed on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. || ArtemisIII_LandingRegions_print.jpg (1024x576) [130.2 KB] || ArtemisIII_LandingRegions_YouTubeHD.webm (1920x1080) [15.6 MB] || ArtemisIII_LandingRegions_YouTubeHD.mp4 (1920x1080) [230.8 MB] || ArtemisIII_LandingRegions_Captions.en_US.srt [3.0 KB] || ArtemisIII_LandingRegions_Captions.en_US.vtt [2.8 KB] || ArtemisIII_LandingRegions_MASTER.mov (1920x1080) [1.9 GB] || ", "release_date": "2022-08-19T13:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-06-23T00:13:50.844138-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 369732, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005000/a005013/sites2.0960_print.jpg", "filename": "sites2.0960_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "In this visualization rendered using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data, the view moves from a full disk image of a waning gibbous Moon to a close view of the South Pole, eventually revealing 13 candidate landing regions for the Artemis III mission.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410966, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4937, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4937/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "The VIPER Landing Site", "description": "FULL VIDEO: The VIPER team announces that its rover will be sent to the Nobile region near the Moon's South Pole to carry out its mission. Watch this video to learn more.Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “The Butterfly Effect” – David Thomas ConnollyThis video can also be viewed on YouTube. || ViperAnnouncement_Thumbnail.jpg (1920x1080) [819.9 KB] || ViperAnnouncement_Thumbnail_print.jpg (1024x576) [274.6 KB] || ViperAnnouncement_Thumbnail_searchweb.png (320x180) [64.5 KB] || ViperAnnouncement_Thumbnail_thm.png (80x40) [7.4 KB] || 4937_VIPERAnnouncement_YouTubeHD.webm (1920x1080) [21.4 MB] || 4937_VIPERAnnouncement_FacebookHD.mp4 (1920x1080) [238.2 MB] || 4937_VIPERAnnouncement_YouTubeHD.mp4 (1920x1080) [314.1 MB] || 4937_VIPERAnnouncement_CAPTIONS.en_US.srt [3.9 KB] || 4937_VIPERAnnouncement_CAPTIONS.en_US.vtt [3.7 KB] || 4937_VIPERAnnouncement_MASTER.mov (1920x1080) [2.5 GB] || 4937_VIPERAnnouncement_FacebookHD.mp4.hwshow [199 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2021-09-20T16:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T22:52:31.359116-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 376899, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004900/a004937/ViperAnnouncement_Thumbnail.jpg", "filename": "ViperAnnouncement_Thumbnail.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "FULL VIDEO: The VIPER team announces that its rover will be sent to the Nobile region near the Moon's South Pole to carry out its mission. Watch this video to learn more.Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “The Butterfly Effect” – David Thomas ConnollyThis video can also be viewed on YouTube.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 410967, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4969, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4969/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Pinpointing the Moon's South Pole", "description": "Visualization of the precise location of the lunar South Pole in the Moon Mean Earth coordinate system. Includes narration and music. Presented in both horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) aspect ratios.Music provided by Universal Production Music: Unmatched Skills – John K Sands, Marc Ferrari, Michael A TremanteThis video can also be viewed on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. || southpole.0120_narrated_print.jpg (1024x576) [19.1 KB] || PinpointingSouthPole-YouTubeHD.mp4 (1920x1080) [50.5 MB] || PinpointingSouthPole-VERTICAL.mp4 (1080x1920) [54.6 MB] || PinpointingSouthPole-VERTICAL.webm (1080x1920) [7.8 MB] || PinpointingSouthPole-MASTER.mov (1920x1080) [382.4 MB] || PinpointingSouthPole-Captions.en_US.srt [1.5 KB] || PinpointingSouthPole-Captions.en_US.vtt [1.5 KB] || PinpointingSouthPole-YouTubeHD.mp4.hwshow || ", "release_date": "2022-02-28T10:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2025-06-23T00:13:25.610808-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 372833, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004900/a004969/southpole.0120_narrated_print.jpg", "filename": "southpole.0120_narrated_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Visualization of the precise location of the lunar South Pole in the Moon Mean Earth coordinate system. Includes narration and music. Presented in both horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) aspect ratios.Music provided by Universal Production Music: Unmatched Skills – John K Sands, Marc Ferrari, Michael A TremanteThis video can also be viewed on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410968, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4944, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4944/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Earth and Sun from the Moon's South Pole", "description": "An animated view of the Sun and the Earth as seen from the Moon's South Pole, narrated by the visualizer.Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “Enduring Faith” – Frederik WiedmannThis video can also be viewed on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. || shackleton_earth.0001_print.jpg (1024x576) [41.1 KB] || shackleton_earth_YouTube.webm (1920x1080) [15.7 MB] || shackleton_earth_YouTube.mp4 (1920x1080) [177.5 MB] || shackleton_earth_CAPTIONS.en_US.srt [3.4 KB] || shackleton_earth_CAPTIONS.en_US.vtt [3.2 KB] || shackleton_earth_YouTube.mp4.hwshow || ", "release_date": "2021-10-16T20:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-06-23T00:13:10.080132-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 376531, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004900/a004944/shackleton_earth.0001_print.jpg", "filename": "shackleton_earth.0001_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "An animated view of the Sun and the Earth as seen from the Moon's South Pole, narrated by the visualizer.Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “Enduring Faith” – Frederik WiedmannThis video can also be viewed on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410969, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4770, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4770/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "From Apollo Sites To The South Pole", "description": "Beginning on the near side of the Moon, with the Apollo sites marked, the view quickly moves to the South Pole and zooms in to show the changing illumination conditions there for an entire year. || pole.0126_print.jpg (1024x576) [63.6 KB] || pole.0126_searchweb.png (320x180) [32.6 KB] || pole.0126_thm.png (80x40) [3.1 KB] || apollo_to_south_pole_1080p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [86.6 MB] || apollo_to_south_pole_720p30.mp4 (1280x720) [44.9 MB] || apollo_to_south_pole_720p30.webm (1280x720) [20.0 MB] || apollo (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || apollo_to_south_pole_360p30.mp4 (640x360) [16.2 MB] || apollo (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || apollo_to_south_pole_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [354.9 MB] || ", "release_date": "2020-07-20T09:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-06-23T00:10:15.422640-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 389500, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004700/a004770/pole.0126_print.jpg", "filename": "pole.0126_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Beginning on the near side of the Moon, with the Apollo sites marked, the view quickly moves to the South Pole and zooms in to show the changing illumination conditions there for an entire year.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410970, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4226, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4226/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Hyperwall: LOLA Slope Map", "description": "Part of the LOLA slope map of the Moon centered on the south pole. The prime meridian (0° longitude) is up. || slope_map_3x1_print.jpg (1024x345) [284.4 KB] || slope_map_3x1_web.jpg (320x108) [25.0 KB] || slope_map_3x1_searchweb.png (320x180) [154.5 KB] || slope_map_3x1_thm.png (80x40) [8.5 KB] || slope_map_3x1.tif (9600x3240) [80.7 MB] || slope_map_16x9.tif (5760x3240) [49.6 MB] || lola-slope-map.hwshow || ", "release_date": "2014-06-18T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-18T00:04:11.041467-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 450535, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004200/a004226/slope_map_3x1_print.jpg", "filename": "slope_map_3x1_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Part of the LOLA slope map of the Moon centered on the south pole. The prime meridian (0° longitude) is up.", "width": 1024, "height": 345, "pixels": 353280 } } }, { "id": 410971, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4175, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4175/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "GRAIL Gravity Map for the Cover of Geophysical Research Letters", "description": "This print-resolution still image was created for the cover of the May 28, 2014 issue of Geophysical Research Letters. It features a free-air gravity map of the Moon's southern latitudes developed by S. Goossens et al. from data returned by the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission.If the Moon were a perfectly smooth sphere of uniform density, the gravity map would be a single, featureless color, indicating that the force of gravity at a given elevation was the same everywhere. But like other rocky bodies in the solar system, including Earth, the Moon has both a bumpy surface and a lumpy interior. Spacecraft in orbit around the Moon experience slight variations in gravity caused by both of these irregularities.The free-air gravity map shows deviations from the mean gravity that a cueball Moon would have. The deviations are measured in milliGals, a unit of acceleration. On the map, purple is at the low end of the range, at around -400 mGals, and red is at the high end near +400 mGals. Yellow denotes the mean.The map shown here extends from the south pole of the Moon up to 50°S and reveals the gravity for that region in even finer detail than the global gravity maps published previously. The image illustrates the very good correlation between the gravity map and topographic features such as peaks and craters, as well as the mass concentration lying beneath the large Schrödinger basin in the center of the frame. The terrain in the image is based on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) altimeter and camera data. || ", "release_date": "2014-06-17T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-01-06T00:06:42.447616-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 454775, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004100/a004175/grl_cover.jpg", "filename": "grl_cover.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A high-resolution free-air gravity map based on GRAIL data, overlaid on terrain based on LRO altimeter (LOLA) and camera (LROC) data. The view is south-up, with the south pole near the horizon in the upper left and the crescent Earth in the distance. The terminator crosses the eastern rim of the Schrödinger basin. Gravity is painted onto the areas that are in or near the night side. Red corresponds to mass excesses and blue to mass deficits.", "width": 750, "height": 900, "pixels": 675000 } } }, { "id": 410972, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4075, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4075/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Lunar Transit from Solar Dynamics Observatory (2010)", "description": "Just as we do on Earth, the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite periodically crosses the Moon's shadow and experiences a solar eclipse. During the eclipse witnessed by SDO on October 7, 2010, the southern hemisphere of the Moon was silhouetted against the solar disk, revealing some especially prominent mountain peaks near the Moon's south pole. By using elevation data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to visualize the Moon from SDO's point of view, it's possible to identify these peaks. Although all of these are well-known features, all but one of them have no official names. The following list corresponds to the labels in the animation, from left to right.In his 1954 sketch of the lunar south pole, astronomer Ewen Whitaker labeled this feature \"M3.\" It's a mountain about halfway between the craters Cabeus and Drygalski, at 83.2°S 68°W.Whitaker's \"M1,\" a mountain on the northern rim of Cabeus, 83.4°S 33°W.A mountain on the southern rim of Malapert crater, about halfway between the centers of Malapert and Haworth. Whitaker labels this Malapert Alpha. It's also known as Mons Malapert or Malapert Peak. 85.8°S 0°E.Labeled Leibnitz Beta by Whitaker and now officially named Mons Mouton, this is part of the highlands adjacent to the northern rim of Nobile crater. 84°S 37°E. Part of the Leibnitz mountain range first identified by Johann Schröter in the late 1700s, unrelated to Leibnitz Crater on the lunar far side.A mountain near Amundsen crater, on the western (Earthward) rim of Hédervári crater, 82.2°S 75°E. Whitaker tentatively labels this Leibnitz Epsilon in his sketch.The Moon visualization uses the latest albedo and elevation maps from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). || ", "release_date": "2013-06-12T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T22:11:14.692179-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 465571, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004000/a004075/sdomoon.0230_print.jpg", "filename": "sdomoon.0230_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The southern limb of the Moon transits across the Sun in this sequence of images from Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 7, 2010. Five peaks near the lunar south pole, visible in silhouette, are identified. A visualization of the Moon using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data is precisely aligned with the SDO image, then rotated to show these five peaks on a false-color global elevation map.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 410973, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3633, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3633/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "The Moon's South Pole in 3D via LRO/LOLA First Light Data", "description": "The Lunar Reconnaissance Oribiter (LRO) was launched on June 18, 2009. Its mission is to map the moon's surface, find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology. One of the instruments on board is the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) which measures landing site slopes, lunar surface roughness, and has begun generation of a high resolution 3D map of the Moon. The animation depicted here is the beginning of LOLA's mapping project and shows the lunar south pole through digital elevation map data collected by the LOLA instrument during the spacecraft commissioning phase. During the commissioning phase, LRO was in a highly elliptical orbit coming closer to the lunar south pole than the north pole. Furthermore, since LOLA uses laser pulses to measure the surface, the accuracy of its measurements are greatly affected by the instrument's distance to the surface. This is why there is virtually no data of the lunar north pole, and much better coverage of the south pole. The topographic data shown here is currently processed to show at approximately 30 meters per pixel.The colors in this animation depict the relative heights of the lunar surface with respect to the surface mean. Warm colors (brown, red, magenta, and tan) indicate areas above the mean. Cooler colors (green, cyan, blue, and violet) are areas below the mean. || ", "release_date": "2009-09-16T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-01-31T08:16:38.014622-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 496337, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003633/lola_1st_light3.4200.jpg", "filename": "lola_1st_light3.4200.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows some of the first results of the LRO/LOLA instrument without any labels.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 410974, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3686, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3686/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LRO/LOLA Lunar South Pole Flyover", "description": "The Lunar Reconnaissance Oribiter (LRO) was launched on June 18, 2009. Its mission is to map the moon's surface, find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology. One of the instruments on board is the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) which measures landing site slopes, lunar surface roughness, and has begun generation of a high resolution 3D map of the Moon.This visualization uses Clementine data for the global view of the moon, but then transitions to using only LRO/LOLA DEM with a neutral gray texture when flying around the lunar south pole. The DEM by itself creates an amazingly realistic view of the lunar southpole. As better maps are created from the other instruments aboard LRO, an even clearer picture of the moon will emerge.Please note that this visualization is match-frame rendered to The Moon's South Pole in 3D via LRO/LOLA First Light Data (#3633). || ", "release_date": "2010-03-15T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-03-16T22:01:30.018283-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 493689, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003686/SPflyover_v07.2320.jpg", "filename": "SPflyover_v07.2320.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation flys around the moon's south pole. Some of the craters on this tour are: Amundsen, Cabeus, Haworth, Faustini, Malapert, Laveran, Scott, Shackleton, Shoemaker, and Wiechert", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 410975, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3727, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3727/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LOLA Lunar Topography in False Color", "description": "This animation is a brief tour of several prominent features of the Moon's terrain: Tycho crater, the south pole, and the South Pole-Aitken basin. The height of the terrain is color-coded, with blues and greens representing low altitudes and reds representing high altitudes. The view is match-moved to a companion piece showing the Moon in natural colors.This is an update of animation 3582, which was produced before the launch of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Except for the Tycho crater inset, the elevation map in this updated version is based entirely on early results of the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter onboard LRO. These results already represent a substantial improvement in our knowledge of the Moon's topography. || ", "release_date": "2010-06-11T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:12.379300-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 491750, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003700/a003727/spflycolor.0200.jpg", "filename": "spflycolor.0200.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Moon false color topography flyover.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } }, { "id": 410976, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3731, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3731/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LOLA: Lunar Topography in Natural Color", "description": "This animation is a brief tour of several prominent features of the Moon's terrain: Tycho crater, the south pole, and the South Pole-Aitken basin. It is match-moved to a companion piece showing the terrain elevations in false color.This is an update of animation 3594, which was produced before the launch of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Except for the Tycho crater inset, the elevation map in this updated version is based entirely on early results of the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter onboard LRO.The surface appearance is derived from photographs taken by the Clementine spacecraft. Although it shows the visible surface in natural color, this animation does not depict realistic sunlight and shadows. This is especially significant near the poles, where certain parts of the terrain can be in permanent shadow and would never be fully visible in the manner depicted here. || ", "release_date": "2010-06-21T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:11.287059-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 491678, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003700/a003731/spfly.0001.jpg", "filename": "spfly.0001.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Moon natural color topography flyover.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } }, { "id": 410977, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3443, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3443/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Clementine Lunar South Pole", "description": "NASA's next moon mission, the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter (LRO), will pave the way for future lunar missions by taking high resolution data of the entire lunar body. This animation zooms into one region of high interest, the lunar south pole, as seen by the 1994 Clementine mission. The possibility of frozen water is one of many reasons NASA is interested in this potential landing site. However, many of the craters in this area where frozen water sources are most likely to be found are in constant shadow which inhibited Clementine's ability to see into these craters. These shadows are the very dark areas at the poles center as seen in this animation, and one of the moon's secrets on which LRO should shed some light. || ", "release_date": "2007-08-27T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-07-15T00:00:22.392626-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 507768, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003400/a003443/eclipseHD.0180_web.png", "filename": "eclipseHD.0180_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation starts with a computer generated unveiling of the Clementine lunar data (not taking into account the moon's libration as viewed from Earth), and then tilts upward to reveal the lunar south pole.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 371353, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/moonpole/#media_group_371353", "widget": "Card gallery", "title": "LCROSS", "caption": "", "description": "", "items": [ { "id": 410978, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3654, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3654/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Modeling the LCROSS Impact Site", "description": "A two-ton Atlas Centaur rocket body, part of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), struck the floor of Cabeus crater, near the south pole of the moon, at 11:31 UT on October 9, 2009. The purpose of the crash was to create a plume of debris that could be examined for the presence of water and other chemicals in the lunar regolith. The effects of the impact were captured by sensors onboard a shepherding satellite travelling four minutes behind the Centaur. They were also watched by Earth-based observatories and several Earth-orbiting satellites, including the Hubble Space Telescope.The images here were created in the weeks prior to the impact. They visualize the viewing angle, terrain, and shadows around the target crater at the time of the impact. Astronomers in New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Hawaii used them as visual reference while guiding their telescopes. LCROSS project scientists also used these and similar images to evaluate a number of potential impact locations.Using the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's DE421 ephemeris and early terrain data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's laser altimeter, the artist was able to accurately depict the sunlight direction, shadows, moon orientation, terrain, and field of view for several representative observing locations on the Earth. || ", "release_date": "2009-10-09T13:35:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:32.854127-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 495701, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003654/lcross_composite.jpg", "filename": "lcross_composite.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Full disk image of the moon, with an inset containing a close-up of the impact site. A number of craters, including the target crater, are labeled in the inset.", "width": 2560, "height": 1440, "pixels": 3686400 } } }, { "id": 410979, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3760, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3760/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LRO Supports LCROSS", "description": "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) were launched together on the same Atlas V rocket on June 18, 2009. Months later, after following very different paths to the moon, LRO and LCROSS met once more. LCROSS struck the floor of Cabeus crater, near the south pole of the moon, at 11:31 UT on October 9, 2009. LRO witnessed the impact from its orbit 50 kilometers (30 miles) above the surface.The purpose of the crash was to create a plume of debris that could be examined for the presence of water and other chemicals in the lunar regolith. LRO's early reconnaissance of the moon gave LCROSS mission planners valuable data in the months before LCROSS arrived, allowing them to choose an impact site with a high probability of producing interesting findings. LRO was also there for the event itself, using its array of instruments to gather data in the aftermath of the impact.This animation shows LRO and LCROSS from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after the impact. Data gathered before the impact is represented by early results from LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND). LEND can sense hydrogen, and therefore possible water, in the lunar soil. The area of high hydrogen concentration in Cabeus (purple) is like a bullseye for LCROSS.Data gathered by LRO after the impact is represented by Diviner temperature measurements taken seconds after the crash. Diviner detected the heat from lunar soil melted and vaporized by the enormous energy of the impact. || ", "release_date": "2010-10-21T13:55:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T22:02:02.385398-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 490413, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003700/a003760/lro_over_lcross_date.0270.jpg", "filename": "lro_over_lcross_date.0270.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "LEND and Diviner data are painted onto the lunar surface as LCROSS hits the moon and LRO flies past the impact site. This version includes a date and time overlay.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } }, { "id": 410980, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3785, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3785/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LAMP Observes the LCROSS Impact", "description": "A two-ton Atlas Centaur rocket body, part of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), struck the floor of Cabeus crater, near the south pole of the moon, at 11:31 UT on October 9, 2009. The purpose of the crash was to create a plume of debris that could be examined for the presence of water and other chemicals in the lunar regolith.The Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) instrument aboard Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) observed the tenuous vapor cloud created by the LCROSS impact. LAMP is LRO's \"night vision.\" Most of the time, it uses the ultraviolet light in starlight to peer into deep shadows on the moon's surface. For the LCROSS impact, LAMP was pointed just above the lunar horizon to watch for the arrival of a rapidly expanding cloud of vaporized debris from the crash.In this animation, the viewer looks down the LAMP boresight and through its narrow window. The LAMP sensor lights up as the leading edge of the expanding vapor cloud passes through its field of view. What's shown here is actually the difference between the data recorded after the LCROSS impact and that recorded on LRO's previous orbit. See this entry for more about the process of subtracting the background to enhance the LAMP signal. || ", "release_date": "2010-10-21T13:55:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:00.108770-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 489301, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003700/a003785/lcross_lamp_date.0512.jpg", "filename": "lcross_lamp_date.0512.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The LAMP sensor slit scans the lunar horizon, lighting up as it encounters the vapor cloud created by the LCROSS impact. This version includes a date/time overlay.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 371354, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/moonpole/#media_group_371354", "widget": "Card gallery", "title": "Images and Data", "caption": "", "description": "", "items": [ { "id": 410981, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 4289, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4289/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "LRO Lowers Periapsis", "description": "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter flies over Shackleton crater near the lunar south pole in this computer rendering. || lro_south_pole_print.jpg (1024x1024) [293.7 KB] || lro_south_pole_web.jpg (320x320) [32.7 KB] || lro_south_pole_searchweb.png (320x180) [89.9 KB] || lro_south_pole_thm.png (80x40) [6.6 KB] || lro_south_pole.tif (2400x2400) [6.3 MB] || ", "release_date": "2015-05-08T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:49:44.077579-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 443343, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004200/a004289/lro_south_pole_print.jpg", "filename": "lro_south_pole_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter flies over Shackleton crater near the lunar south pole in this computer rendering.", "width": 1024, "height": 1024, "pixels": 1048576 } } }, { "id": 410982, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 11494, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11494/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Jim Garvin's Top \"Pics\" - LROC Images", "description": "In this video series, NASA Scientist Jim Garvin highlights his favorite pictures taken throughout the solar system. This episode focuses on images taken by LROC – the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. Jim explains which pictures made his “top 5” list. || ", "release_date": "2014-03-24T06:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:51:04.557693-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 457900, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011400/a011494/G2014-012_JGTopPics-Lroc_MASTER_youtube_hq.980_print.jpg", "filename": "G2014-012_JGTopPics-Lroc_MASTER_youtube_hq.980_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "NASA Scientist Jim Garvin selects what he considers to be the five best images taken by LROC – the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. His discussion focuses on pictures of Aristarchus, the lunar South Pole, moon ejecta, pit craters, and Tycho crater.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 960, "height": 540, "pixels": 518400 } } }, { "id": 410983, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 3634, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3634/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Shackleton's Rim Through the Eyes of LRO/LROC", "description": "During the Lunar Reconnaissance Oribiter's (LRO) Commissioning Phase, the high resolution Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) on the LRO Camera (LROC) instrument captured this 0.8-meter per pixel scale (angular resolution) two-image mosaic of Shackleton Crater on the moon's south pole. Many more images of this area will be obtained by the NAC over the coming months as the lunar south pole emerges from the shadows of winter. At meter scales, the geology of this region reminds us that the polar regions of the Moon are still waiting to be explored. The rim of Shackleton crater is a prime candidate for future human exploration due to its proximity to permanently shadowed regions and nearby peaks that are illuminated for much of the year.Last year, Japan's Selene and India's Chandrayaan spacecraft gave us our first high resolution look at the lunar south pole, which includes Shackleton crater. For its size, Shackleton has an exceptionally deep and rugged interior. Usually craters fill in with time as their walls slump and material from afar is thrown in by distant impacts. Much of Shackleton's rim appears rounded and is peppered with smaller craters, indications of a relatively ancient age. Right now it is not clear if Shackleton crater is relatively old or young. This NAC image reveals a shelf on the southeast flank of the crater that is more than two kilometers across and perfectly suitable for a future landing. The extreme Sun angle exaggerates the apparent roughness, however if you look closely at this scale any area that is between small craters could be good candidates for a potential landing site. || ", "release_date": "2009-09-17T12:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-01-05T22:02:01.715701-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 496293, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003634/LROC_v03.1000.jpg", "filename": "LROC_v03.1000.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation zooms into the LRO/LROC NAC swath of Shackleton crater's rim and slowly pans across the rim's surface.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 410984, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10595, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10595/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Ten Cool Things Seen in the First Year of LRO", "description": "Having officially reached lunar orbit on June 23nd, 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has now marked one full year on its mission to scout the moon. Maps and datasets collected by LRO's state-of-the-art instruments will form the foundation for all future lunar exploration plans, as well as be critical to scientists working to better understand the moon and its environment. In only the first year of the mission, LRO has gathered more digital information than any previous planetary mission in history. To celebrate one year in orbit, here are ten cool things already observed by LRO. Note that the stories here are just a small sample of what the LRO team has released and barely touch on the major scientific accomplishments of the mission. If you like these, visit the official LRO web site at www.nasa.gov/LRO to find out even more! || ", "release_date": "2010-06-23T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:10.977941-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 491520, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010500/a010595/LRO_A11_md.jpg", "filename": "LRO_A11_md.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Astronauts' First Steps on the MoonOn July 20, 1969, NASA added a page to the history books when Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on the moon. Though their stay was only brief, Armstrong and Aldrin had about two and a half hours to track around outside the module, taking pictures and deploying a few science experiments before returning to orbit and ultimately, the safety of Earth. Images of the Apollo 11 landing site from LRO clearly show where the descent stage (about 12 feet in diameter) was left behind as well as the astronauts' tracks and the various equipment they deployed. This LRO data has important scientific value, as it provides context for the returned Apollo samples. Beyond their use for science, the images of all six manned landing sites observed by LRO provide a reminder of NASA's proud legacy of exploration and a note of inspiration about what humans are capable of in the future.(Image Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University)To learn more about the Apollo 11 landing site, visit:LROC Additional View of the Apollo 11 SiteLROC Second View of the Apollo 11 SiteLROC First View of the Apollo Sites", "width": 800, "height": 400, "pixels": 320000 } } }, { "id": 410985, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10528, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10528/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "LRO Early Results Press Conference", "description": "NASA showcased new images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's seven instruments and provided updates about the topography of the moon's south pole during a news conference on September 17. NASA also provided an update about the spacecraft's status and mission plans. The briefing took place at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. (no transcript available) || LRO_1stResults_PressConf_ipod.00002_print.jpg (1024x576) [115.7 KB] || LRO_1stResults_PressConf_ipod_web.png (320x180) [138.1 KB] || LRO_1stResults_PressConf_ipod_thm.png (80x40) [16.1 KB] || LRO_1stResults_PC_appleTV.webmhd.webm (960x540) [499.4 MB] || LRO_1stResults_PC_appleTV.m4v (960x540) [1.4 GB] || LRO_1stResults_PressConf_ipod.m4v (640x360) [586.3 MB] || ", "release_date": "2009-09-17T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:38.641558-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 495252, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010500/a010528/LRO_1stResults_PressConf_ipod.00002_print.jpg", "filename": "LRO_1stResults_PressConf_ipod.00002_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "NASA showcased new images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's seven instruments and provided updates about the topography of the moon's south pole during a news conference on September 17. NASA also provided an update about the spacecraft's status and mission plans. The briefing took place at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. (no transcript available)", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } } ], "extra_data": {} } ] }