Visiting Earth’s Moon

1. Russian probe: E-3 spacecraft, photographed dark side of the moon. Launched April 15, 1960. American Manned Mission: picture of Apollo 10 orbiting the moon. Launched May 18, 1969 American Unmanned Mission: Surveyor (1966-1968) Visiting Earth’s Moon

2. Tycho Crater The main objectives of the Surveyors (1966-1968) were to obtain close-up images of the lunar surface and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings. Surveyor 7: Launched January 7, 1968

3. Crater Giordano Bruno Makes History The impact that formed the 20-kilometer-diameter crater was observed by five men on the evening of June 18, 1178, and was reported in medieval chronicles. No other similar events on the Earth or Moon have been observed during recorded history. Apollo 8: Launch December 21, 1969

4. Marius Hills in Oceanus Procellarum The Moon's surface is characterized by large, roughly circular, smooth-floored plains called mara ('seas') Mara are low-lying volcanic plains, vast impact basins which have been filled with basaltic rocks some 3000 million years ago. Lunar Orbiter 2: Launch November 6, 1966

5. Copernicus Crater The crater Copernicus, 93 kilometers in diameter, is one of the most prominent features on the Moon's nearside. It is a relatively fresh crater, believed to have formed less than 1 billion years ago. Its system of bright rays is quite prominent at full Moon. Lunar Orbiter 5: Launch August 1, 1967

6. Mounds on the Moon This is an image of one of the peculiar mounds which were seen around Head crater. The mounds are thought to be clumps of regolith thrown out of craters during impact which have slowly formed into their present shape by small meteorite bombardment over time. Apollo 12: Launched November 14, 1969

7. The Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains (on the horizon at lower left) were raised by the same impact event that created the Imbrium basin, and separate Mare Imbrium from Oceanus Procellarum. Apollo 12: Launch November 14, 1969

8. Gambart Crater and the Lunar Terminator The difference between day and night on the Moon. This was seen by the Apollo 12 crew as they crossed the terminator twice every orbit. The Apollo 13 landing site is located in the highland region in the shadow area of the photograph. Apollo 12: Launch November 14, 1969

9. Langrenus Crater Langrenus Crater was photographed by the Apollo 8 crew after trans-Earth injection. Langrenus is the larger crater with slumped walls on the margin of Mare Fecunditatis, the larger of several lunar maria visible in this photograph Apollo 8: Launch December 21, 1968

10. The Sea of Rains Mt. Lahire cast a very long shadow across the smooth mare deposits in the left central part of the photograph. Lobate flow fronts (possible indicators of ground ice) along the north and south margins of the belt are clearly visible in the upper half of this near-terminator view. Apollo 15: Launch: July 26, 1971

11. Hadley Delta Hadley Delta is the mountain in the background, and St. George Crater is partially visible in the upper right. The boulders in the foreground are basalts from the units that crop out along the rille. Apollo 15: Launched July 26,1971

12. Far Side of the Moon . This image was taken by Apollo 11 astronauts in 1969. It shows a portion of the Moon's heavily cratered far side. The large crater is approximately 80 km ( 50 miles ) in diameter. The rugged terrain seen here is typical of the farside of the Moon. Apollo 11: Launch July 16, 1969

13. Farewell View of the Moon At the left edge of the globe Mare Tranquillitatis. The dark spot near the top is Mare Crisium and the dark patches near the terminator at right are Mare Marginus and Mare Smythii. Apollo 12: Launch November 14, 1969