The Moon has fascinated mankind throughout the ages. By simply viewing with the naked eye, one can discern two major types of terrain: relatively bright highlands and darker plains. By the middle of the 17th century, Galileo and other early astronomers made telescopic observations, noting an almost endless overlapping of craters. It has also been known for more than a century that the Moon is less dense than the Earth. Although a certain amount of information was ascertained about the Moon before the space age, this new era has revealed many secrets barely imaginable before that time. Current knowledge of the Moon is greater than for any other solar system object except Earth. This lends to a greater understanding of geologic processes and further appreciation of the complexity of terrestrial planets. Also see: Views of the Solar System LPOD Lunar Photo of the Day Lunar World Record Current Moon Data 1 2 3 4 5   Moon Maps 1 2 3 4 5 Origins of the Moon Fix: Chapter 9 The Moon StarDate Online: Moon The Moon of course, has been known since prehistoric times. It is the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. As the Moon orbits around the Earth once per month, the angle between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun changes; we see this as the cycle of the Moon's phases. The time between successive new moons is 29.5 days (709 hours), slightly different from the Moon's orbital period (measured against the stars) since the Earth moves a significant distance in its orbit around the Sun in that time. Also see: The Nine Planets Clickable Lunar Map & Clementine Lunar Image Browser (CLIB) - The Deep Space Program Science Experiment (DSPSE), the first of a series of Clementine technology demonstrations jointly sponsored by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ), launched in early 1994. Its principal objective is to space qualify lightweight imaging sensors and component technologies for the next generation of Department of Defense (DoD) spacecraft. The Clementine mission uses the Moon, a near-Earth asteroid, and the spacecraft's Interstage Adapter (ISA) as targets to demonstrate lightweight component and sensor performance. As a secondary mission, Clementine returns valuable data of interest to the international civilian scientific sector. It represents a new class of small, low cost, and highly capable spacecraft that fully embrace emerging lightweight technologies to enable a series of long-duration deep space missions.   Comparison of Lunar Images from Clementine and Lunar Orbiter to Search for New Surface Features or Craters Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon by by Bowker and Hughes (NASA SP-206) is considered the definitive reference manual to the global photographic coverage of the Moon. The images contained within the atlas are excellent for studying lunar morphology because they were obtained at low to moderate Sun angles. This digital archive consists of the complete set of 675 plates contained in Bowker and Hughes. Images in the archive have been enhanced to display the best photo quality possible. For accuracy and usability surface feature information has been improved and updated, and multiple search capabilities added to the database. More detailed information about the digital archive process can be read in abstracts presented at the 30th and 31st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Consolidated Lunar Atlas by Gerald P. Kuiper, Ewen A. Whitaker, Robert G. Strom, John W. Fountain, and Stephen M. Larson is a collection of the best photographic images of the moon. These digital renditions were created and edited by Eric J. Douglass. Web page design and layout by Michael S. O'Dell. Lunascan Project is an Earth-Based Telescopic Imaging program using live CCD imaging technology to observe, document, and record LTPs (Lunar Transient Phenomena). The Lunascan Project website directories house some of the best lunar image links from around the world. The Lunascan Project (TLP) was established in September of 1995 and utilized a giant 16" Newtonian reflector. The Project now involves the use of an array of three telescopes, remote controlled from a control room with numerous video monitors and recorders. Cameras provide live high, medium & low power, high resolution television pictures of the lunar surface. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Moon Lunar Photographs Wow Web Cam - Lunar Images     © Copyright 2009 - Samuel J. Wormley   by swormley1@gmail.com