USGS Unveils Stunning Geological Map Of The Moon
NASA's ambitious plans to land humans on the Moon by 2024 just got one step closer to becoming a reality thanks to the first comprehensive map of our satellite's surface. Unveiled on April 23, 2020, the colorful 1:5,000,000-scale "Unified Geologic Map of the Moon" is the result of decades of painstaking work by scientists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), NASA, and the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
"People have always been fascinated by the moon and when we might return," said current USGS Director and former NASA astronaut Jim Reilly. "So, it's wonderful to see USGS create a resource that can help NASA with their planning for future missions."
To create the digital map, the researchers drew upon information from the localized maps made during the six Apollo manned missions, as well as more recent data collected by satellite lunar missions. These include stereo observations of the Moon's equatorial region by the Terrain Camera on the recent SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) mission led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, as well as the topography data of the Moon's north and south poles obtained by NASA's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter.
The cartographers began by redrawing the historical maps and aligning them with the current updated information. This allowed them to preserve previous observations and interpretations. Once the data had been merged, the USGS researchers created a consistent description of the various rocks, craters, and other exciting geological features that adorn our 4.5 billion-year-old satellite. This helped streamline the conflicting rock names, descriptions, and ages outlined in the various area maps created over the years. Each geological feature was carefully color-coded to enable scientists to easily recognize similar topography. For example, the bright pink covering a large area of the map represents the impact craters that give the Moon its distinct pockmarked appearance. They are believed to have been created by asteroids that hit the lunar surface during the Imbrian era, some 3.5 billion years ago.
The USGS researchers believe that in addition to being an essential blueprint for NASA astronauts, the lunar map will also prove invaluable for the international scientific community, educators, and the public-at-large.
Resources: www.usgs.gov,cnet.com
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88 Comments
godlove333Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 12:01 pmI love that pattern and I want it on my phone case! like if u agree
vavadegSunday, June 21, 2020 at 10:37 amBefore i read the title i thought the moon had changed color
helacruelaWednesday, June 3, 2020 at 11:11 amTrue fact: Did you know that 50 moons can fit inside the earth?
maria_goodvibesThursday, December 10, 2020 at 12:41 pmYea i knew that it's so cool right?
aarowaTuesday, August 18, 2020 at 5:27 pmYeah it's super cool
neverkidWednesday, June 3, 2020 at 6:32 am2024? How come it took them so long? The last moon flight was literally ages ago!
belle10Monday, June 15, 2020 at 2:24 pmI KNOW MORE LIKE....................... 3036! LOL BUT TRUE YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT 😀
abby5Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 5:00 pmSo cool ! I love space🌍
adriannathebestMonday, May 18, 2020 at 8:30 amWoah.I have never seen anything more girly in my life
rattykidTuesday, May 19, 2020 at 2:09 pmLol thats what i said
ytg_raindropFriday, May 15, 2020 at 1:39 pmWonder if i'll live on the moon or mars ( guess i'll kind of have to in 10 years)
hsroaTuesday, May 12, 2020 at 6:37 amThat's huge
meisdancerWednesday, May 6, 2020 at 4:05 pmI love the pictures please follow me if you do to!!!!!!!!!!!
oofman67Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at 9:38 ami could make that, i just take some paint from the garage and get my moon model, what will happen next? 😒