Contact: Bernard Foing
bernard.foing@esa.int
31-071-565-5647
European Space Agency

Ancient and Eroded Lunar Far Side

Caption: This image, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows a highly eroded highland area close to the equator on the lunar far side -- the side of the Moon always facing away from Earth. AMIE obtained this image on 1 January 2006, from a distance of 1483 kilometres from the surface, with a ground resolution of 134 metres per pixel. The imaged area is centred at a latitude of 4.2º South and longitude 98.4º East. This image shows some highly eroded highland areas. Many craters are almost not longer visible, as they were destroyed by subsequent impacts.

Credit: ESA/SMART-1/Space-X (Space Exploration Institute

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