Lunar South Pole Terrain: Coded Color 

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) launched on June 18, 2009, releasing its first batch of elevation measurements three months after launch. Fourteen years, 60,000 orbits, and over 10 billion laser shots later, LRO's picture of the south pole landscape has filled in nicely. 

In this visualization, the camera flies toward and then around the Moon's South Pole as the natural surface color changes to colors that encode elevation, with cooler colors (purples and blues) indicating lower elevation, and warmer colors (green, orange, brown and tan) indicating higher elevation. Thirty features at the South Pole are identified. 

LRO's detailed terrain maps will be vital for both human and robotic explorers scheduled to arrive at south pole locations in the coming years. 


For more information: 
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5127 

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