They have clear pictures of the Apollo 17 Lunar Lander.Nearly 50 years after man first landed on the moon, we still cannot take a commercial flight to the lunar surface. Some seem to think that the moon’s tourism will experience boom-times between 2023 and 2043, but in the meantime, NASA has put together this 4K video which takes the viewer on a journey around some of the most interesting spots on the surface.
The process of mapping the moon began in 2011, when the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) began providing NASA with elevation and imaging data. The folks at NASA took this data and combined it with data from Japan’s Kaguya mission and created a 5-minute tour, which highlights some of the most well-known spots on the moon, along with others one could only view from space.
See the grand Orientale Basin which is nearly a thousand kilometers wide and reveals structure in the lunar crust beneath the surface. Another highlight is the Tycho Crater, a 100 million year-old crater with a small mountain in the center. Crystal clear imaging shows a 100-meter boulder resting at the summit which has perplexed scientists.
Using the most advanced methods available, NASA is even able to peek inside of craters and show what they look like through the darkness. Another draw of this revamped 4k tour is that it highlights the mineral contents of the different sites it visits. And of course no tour of the moon would be complete without some clear images of the Apollo 17 Lunar Lander and Rover.
To see the original tour and some high resolution images, click here.
