Moon Photos Shot from the Reconnaissance Orbiter

A lunar topographic map showing one of the most densely cratered regions on the Moon. The topography is derived from over 2.4 billion shots made by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument on board the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

A lunar topographic map showing the Orientale basin (930 km diameter), the largest young impact basin on the Moon. This young basin formed from a projectile that impacted the Moon about 3.8 billion years ago, and penetrated deeply into the lunar crust, ejecting millions of cubic kilometers of material into the surrounding areas.

A lunar topographic map showing the Moon from the vantage point of the eastern limb. On the left side of the Moon seen in this view is part of the familiar part of the Moon observed from Earth (the eastern part of the nearside). In the middle left-most part of the globe is Mare Tranquillitatis (light blue) the site of the Apollo 11 landing, and above this an oval-appearing region (Mare Serenitatis; dark blue) the site of the Apollo 17 landing.

The approximate locations of the Apollo moon landing sites.

The western hemisphere of our home planet Earth. North (upper left), Central, and South America (lower right), photographed from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Scientists estimate the depth of the Mare Tranquillitatis pit to be a bit over 100 meters.

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University

Apollo 11's lunar module, Eagle, photographed from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Apollo 15 lunar module, Falcon, viewed from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Apollo 16 lunar module, Orion, viewed from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Apollo 17 lunar module, Challenger, photographed from Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Apollo 14 lunar module, Antares, viewed from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Another view of Apollo 14 lunar module, Antares, viewed from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.