NASA’s New Moon Map Will Support Future Missions
NASA plans to send humans to the Moon by 2024. As ambitious as it sounds, we might be surprised by how NASA will manage to develop the future missions. There are also lots of massive hurdles to face before humans reach the Moon.
But, the new Moon map that showcases the Moon surface’s features might change a thing or two. Scientists from the USGS, the Lunar Planetary Institute, and NASA, have realized such a map. They stated that their development would play a key role in achieving NASA’s goals.
The colorful 1:5,000,000-scale geologic map of the Moon, dubbed the “Unified Geologic Map of the Moon,” resembles a rainbow. It comprises some charts periods of geological surveys of the Moon, dating from the Apollo era. Scientists from the USGS (the United States Geological Survey) used regional maps from six Apollo missions.
New Moon Map Offers New Perspective
They also added new data gathered by NASA’s lunar orbiter and some measurements from a Japanese probe. Kaguya imaged the Moon between 2007 and 2009). The map was developed to serve as a tool for research and other analyses. Scientists also use striking colors to highlight the Moon’s past.
The results will support future geologic surveys, and it will establish a better ground of research for scientists. The map is considered one of the most comprehensive geologic maps of the Moon so far. The Moon’s surface becomes a record of its history. The map is dominated by the pink color, displaying the Imbrian era, approximately 3.5 billion years ago.
During that period, the Moon encountered so many asteroids collisions, that its surface became full of craters, becoming pockmarked, as we know today. “It’s wonderful to see USGS create a resource that can help NASA with their planning for future missions,” explained Jim Reilly, the USGS director.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.
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