{
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    "next": null,
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    "results": [
        {
            "id": 3453,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3453/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2009-06-07T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "LRO Ground Track - One Sidereal Month",
            "description": "A satellite's ground track shows the path of its orbit on the surface of the parent body. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will be placed in a nearly circular polar orbit about 50 kilometers (31 miles) above the surface of the Moon, completing each orbit in a little less than two hours. The orientation of this orbit remains fixed in space, relative to the stars, while the Moon slowly rotates beneath it as they travel together around the Earth, allowing LRO to scan the entire surface of the Moon every two weeks.The animation depicts LRO's ground track over a period of 27.3 days (348 orbits) or one sidereal month, the amount of time it takes the Moon to turn once on its axis, relative to the stars. This is two days shorter than the synodic month, the period of the Moon's phases. The difference arises from the motion of the Earth. While the Moon is orbiting the Earth, the Earth is carrying them both around the Sun, changing the Sun's direction relative to the stars.Each LRO orbit is separated from the previous one by about one degree of longitude. On the Moon's surface near the equator, this corresponds to a spacing of 30 kilometers (19 miles), but the orbits converge near the poles; at 84 degrees N or S latitude, the ground distance is only 10% of the distance at the equator. At all latitudes, later LRO orbits will fill in the gaps left by earlier ones. Orbits in the latter half of the month depicted in this animation are seen to form a cross-hatch pattern that begins to fill in the gaps left during the first half of the month.The points at which the orbits cross provide an opportunity to refine our knowledge of LRO's precise position. LOLA, the LRO instrument that maps the lunar terrain by measuring surface elevation, should get the same reading for these crossing points each time it passes over them. If it doesn't, then LRO might not really be at a crossing point, meaning that its actual position differs slightly from its predicted position.The elevation map comprises low-resolution data from a number of sources, including the Clementine and JAXA/SELENE spacecraft, combined with high-resolution insets for the regions near the poles. The surface color is derived from photographs taken by Clementine. || ",
            "hits": 201
        },
        {
            "id": 3577,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3577/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2009-05-12T00:00:00-04:00",
            "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.) || ",
            "hits": 340
        },
        {
            "id": 3576,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3576/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2009-05-08T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "LRO Ground Track",
            "description": "A satellite's ground track shows the path of its orbit on the surface of the parent body. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will be placed in a nearly circular polar orbit about 50 kilometers (31 miles) above the surface of the Moon, completing each orbit in a little less than two hours. The orientation of this orbit remains fixed in space, relative to the stars, while the Moon slowly rotates beneath it as they travel together around the Earth, allowing LRO to scan the entire surface of the Moon every two weeks.As this animation shows, the density of the ground coverage provided by a polar orbit is greatest at the poles. For the Moon, this is also where a great deal of current interest lies, since permanently shadowed areas at the poles may harbor water ice. This is also where some high-altitude areas are in gentle but perennial sunlight, providing the lighting and power supply for extended human exploration.The animation depicts LRO's ground track over a period of seven days (89 orbits). The elevation map comprises low-resolution data from a number of sources, including the Clementine and JAXA/SELENE spacecraft, combined with high-resolution insets for the regions near the poles. The surface color is derived from photographs taken by Clementine. || ",
            "hits": 215
        },
        {
            "id": 3612,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3612/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2009-05-08T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Orbit Insertion",
            "description": "This visualization shows an example of how the orbit insertion for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) might look. LRO launches from Cape Canaveral, then flies around the Earth and on to the moon. Time speeds up during the journey to the moon, then slows again as LRO approaches the moon. LRO begins orbiting the moon and, through a series of several \"burns\", moves in closer to its desired orbit. LRO's initial orbit plane around the moon is parallel to the direction of the moon's travel.This visualization was created before launch using simulated ephemeris data. The ephemeris data driving this visualization was based on a simulated nighttime launch on 11/24/2008; but, the actual launch may happen during the daytime.A stereoscopic version of this visualization can be found HERE.  For more information on the coodinate systems in the animation see HERE. || ",
            "hits": 105
        },
        {
            "id": 3582,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3582/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2009-04-17T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Lunar Topography in False Color",
            "description": "An updated version of this animation is available here.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.The elevation map comprises low-resolution data from a number of sources, including the Clementine and JAXA/SELENE spacecraft, combined with high-resolution insets for Tycho and the region near the south pole. One of the goals of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission is the creation of a high-resolution elevation map of the entire surface of the Moon. || ",
            "hits": 282
        },
        {
            "id": 3594,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3594/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2009-04-17T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Lunar Topography in Natural Color",
            "description": "An updated version of this animation is available here.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.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. || ",
            "hits": 139
        }
    ]
}