NASAのインスタグラム(nasagoddard) - 5月13日 00時42分

LRO Captures Stunning Image of the Moon’s Jackson Crater

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC, is a system of three cameras mounted on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) that capture black and white images images of the moon.

Two weeks ago on April 28, 2016, LROC captured this magnificent view of the western wall of Jackson crater as it emerged from its two-week night. Imagine standing on the rim of Jackson, with the crater floor nearly 4 km (2.5 miles) below you, watching the sun rise and slowly illuminate boulders one by one.

Jackson crater, despite being a relatively modest 41.1 miles (71 km) in diameter, is one of the most prominent craters on the farside of the Moon because of its extensive ray system. These rays indicate that the crater is relatively young in age, because as craters age their rays lose their bright contrast with nearby terrain. Other indicators of the crater's youth include the crisply preserved boulders and solidified impact melt that are found throughout crater floor and exterior, and can be seen across the rim above. Many of the boulders in this image will eventually slide down the crater wall and be eroded or buried by other slumping material, and the layer of solidified impact melt that coats much of the scene will be gardened by subsequent smaller impacts over time until Jackson acquires a subdued appearance like many of its neighboring craters.

High res file: http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/931

Credit: NASA/Goddard/LRO/LROC/Arizona State University #nasagoddard #moon #space

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