Tag

Lro

All articles tagged with #lro

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Moon Water Built Up Over Billions of Years, Not a One-Time Event

New analysis using NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data shows that ice in permanently shadowed lunar craters accreted gradually over about 3 to 3.5 billion years from multiple sources—comet/asteroid deliveries, solar-wind interactions, and ancient volcanic activity—challenging the idea of a single Late Heavy Bombardment event. The oldest, most shadowed craters host the most ice, a result with strong implications for future Moon missions and in‑situ resource use, though direct sample analysis is needed to confirm the exact origins.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#ice #lro #moon

space-and-spaceflight1 month ago•16 min saved

Moon’s Fresh Scar: 225-Meter Crater Reveals a Recent Impact

Scientists using NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter identified a fresh 225-meter crater on the Moon formed in late spring 2024, the largest crater created during the LRO mission; by comparing before-and-after images, researchers traced debris and observed dark glass-like rocks, indicating a high-energy impact and providing new insight into how recent impacts sculpt the lunar surface and crater formation across the solar system.

via Gizmodo|

#crater #glass-like-rocks #lro

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Fresh 225-Meter Lunar Crater Captured Moments After Formation

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images confirm a freshly formed 225-meter lunar crater from spring 2024—the largest crater seen during the LRO era—featuring a funnel-shaped rim, 43-meter depth, large ejecta blocks, and glassy rock. The event, inferred to come from a south-southwest impact and documented with rare before-and-after imagery, offers a valuable dataset to refine crater-formation models; such fresh lunar craters are expected roughly once every 139 years on any given patch of surface.

via ScienceAlert|

#before-after-imaging #crater-impact #lro

space1 month ago•2 min saved

Moon Forms Rare 225-Meter Crater in High-Speed Impact

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured before-and-after images of a 225‑meter crater formed in spring 2024 by a fast-moving space rock, making it the largest crater formed during the LRO mission and providing rare, high-resolution data to refine crater-formation models for the Moon and other rocky worlds.

via Universe Today|

#crater #impact #lro

space2 months ago•4 min saved

Moon Unveils Fresh 225-Meter Crater from Rare 2024 Impact

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter identified a new 225-meter crater on the Moon, formed in 2024 in a rare event (about once every 139 years), with ejecta spreading hundreds of meters and debris detectable up to 120 kilometers away, signaling ongoing surface hazards for future lunar missions.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#crater #impact #lro

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Dawn Lighting Reveals Hidden Lunar Crater in LRO Photo

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a high-resolution dawn image of an unnamed Moon crater, revealing dramatic shadows and textures that advance our understanding of lunar geology and aid future missions, landing-site selection, and resource assessment under the Artemis program.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#artemis #crater #lro

space2 months ago•7 min saved

New 22-Meter Moon Crater Highlights Ongoing Lunar Change

Researchers using imagery from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter identified a fresh 22‑meter crater on the Moon by comparing images from 2009 and 2012, revealing bright ejecta rays that contrast with the dark surface. The rays will gradually darken due to space weathering, showing that the Moon's surface is still being sculpted today. The finding helps refine current impact rates and aids in calibrating age estimates for lunar terrains.

via SciTechDaily|

#impact-rate #lro #lunar-crater

science9 months ago•4 min saved

Apollo Samples and LRO Enhance Moonquake Forecasting

NASA scientists are developing methods to estimate moonquake frequency and magnitude by analyzing surface features and faults on the Moon, using data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Apollo samples, to better understand seismic risks for upcoming lunar missions, especially in the south polar region.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#faults #lro #moon

space-exploration11 months ago•3 min saved

NASA Satellite Captures Lunar Impact Sites and Disruptions

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of the crash site of ispace's RESILIENCE lunar lander in Mare Frigoris, confirming its hard landing and providing insights into impact mechanics on the Moon, marking a setback for Japan's private lunar ambitions but contributing valuable data for future missions.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#hakuto-r-mission-2 #lro #lunar-surface

science1 year ago•4 min saved

NASA Unveils Hidden Lunar Cave Network

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has provided evidence of extensive caves beneath the Moon's surface, similar to Earth's lava tubes. These findings, based on radar data from the Mini-RF instrument, suggest that these caves could serve as natural shelters for future astronaut missions. The discovery highlights the potential for these subsurface formations to support human activity on the Moon, offering protection from solar radiation and contributing to lunar research.

via SciTechDaily|

#lro #lunar-caves #moon

astronomy2 years ago•1 min saved

"Space Observations: 2024 Solar Eclipse Shadow Captured in Stunning 4K Video"

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured an image of the April 8 solar eclipse from 223,000 miles away using its Narrow Angle Cameras, which require the spacecraft to rapidly rotate to build up the image. Launched in 2009, LRO has provided valuable data about the Moon and is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA aims to return to the Moon with commercial and international partners to expand human presence in space.

via NASA|

#astronomy #celestial-event #lro

space-exploration2 years ago•1 min saved

"NASA's LRO Captures Stunning Image of South Korea's Danuri Moon Orbiter"

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri lunar orbiter as the two spacecraft zipped past each other in opposite directions between March 5 and 6, 2024. The LRO's narrow angle camera managed to grab snapshots during three close orbits, despite the fast relative velocities between the two spacecraft. LRO, which has been studying the Moon for 15 years, has collected valuable data and is part of NASA's efforts to expand human presence in space and bring back new knowledge and opportunities.

via NASA|

#danuri #lro #moon

spacescience2 years ago•5 min saved

NASA's LRO Uses Laser to Locate Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander on the Moon

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) successfully transmitted and reflected a laser beam to an Oreo-sized device on ISRO's Vikram lander on the moon's surface, marking the first time this has been achieved. The experiment opens up new possibilities for precisely locating targets on the moon's surface. The laser instrument, called a Laser Retroreflector Array, has potential applications in guiding spacecraft, marking locations, and aiding in autonomous docking. However, further refinement is needed to fully utilize the retroreflectors, and future missions are planned to carry these devices to the moon.

via Phys.org|

#isro #laser-instrument #lro