NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A preliminary mosaic of images from the far-side of the moon taken by the LCROSS visible light camera. The images were taken during the mission¹s lunar swingby on June 23, 2009 as the spacecraft flew from the south pole north. The mosaic shows the three specific craters, Mendeleev, Goddard C and Giordano Bruno, and the limb targets imaged to calibrate the LCROSS science instruments. The images were obtained from a range of approximately 8500 ­ 9500 km and the approximate resolution in the visible camera is about 8-10 km/pixel.

Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center

A preliminary mosaic of images from the far-side of the moon taken by the LCROSS the mid-infrared camera. These are the first thermal images of the far-side of the moon. The colors represent measured lunar surface temperatures, with reds being the hottest (+158 F or +70 C) and the bluish-purple being the coldest (-148 F or -100 C). Temperatures are effected by several factors including shadows, like those cast by crater central peaks and walls, and by surface properties, such as reflectivity. The images were taken during the mission's lunar swingby on June 23, 2009 as the spacecraft flew from the south pole north.

Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center



The image is an overlay of thermal and visible mosaics from the lunar swingby on June 23, 2009 as the spacecraft flew from the south pole north. The images were obtained from a range of approximately 8500 ­ 9500 km and the approximate resolution in the visible camera is about 8-10 km/pixel, while the resolution in the thermal image is about 12-15 km /pixel.

Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center Jonas Dino
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.