                 APOD: 2018 March 18 - Rotating Moon from LRO

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2018 March 18
                            Rotating Moon from LRO
            Video Credit: LRO [2] , Arizona State U. [3] , NASA [4]

Explanation: No one, presently, sees the Moon rotate like this. That's because
the Earth's moon is tidally locked to the Earth, showing us only one side [5]
. Given modern digital technology, however, combined with many detailed images
returned by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter [6]  (LRO), a high resolution
virtual Moon rotation movie [7]  has been composed. The above time-lapse video
[8] starts with the standard Earth view of the Moon [9] . Quickly, though,
Mare Orientale [10] , a large crater with a dark center that is difficult to
see from the Earth, rotates into view just below the equator. From an entire
lunar month [11]  condensed into 24 seconds, the video clearly shows that the
Earth side of the Moon [12]  contains an abundance of dark lunar maria [13] ,
while the lunar far side is dominated by bright lunar highlands [14] .
Currently, over 20 new missions to the Moon [15]  are under active development
from four different countries, most of which have expected launch dates either
this year or next.

                    Tomorrow's picture: ancient APOD [16]

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [28] (MTU [29] ) & Jerry Bonnell [30]
                                  (UMCP [31] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [32] .
              NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [33]
              A service of: ASD [34]  at NASA [35]  / GSFC [36]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [37]
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] https://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [3] http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/
  [4] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p33_tUHDkMY
  [6] http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/
  [7]
http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/index.php?/archives/
790-A-Unique-View-Of-The-Moon.html
  [8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNUNB6CMnE8
  [9] http://www.google.com/moon/
  [10] ap110312.html
  [11] http://www.universetoday.com/19699/does-the-moon-rotate/
  [12] ap160201.html
  [13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_maria_on_the_Moon
  [14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_the_Moon#Highlands
  [15]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
List_of_missions_to_the_Moon#Funded_lunar_probe_missions_currently_under_
development
  [16] ap180319.html
  [17] ap180317.html
  [18] archivepix.html
  [19] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [20] lib/aptree.html
  [21] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [22] calendar/allyears.html
  [23] /apod.rss
  [24] lib/edlinks.html
  [25] lib/about_apod.html
  [26] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=180318
  [27] ap180319.html
  [28] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [29] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [30] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [31] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [32] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [33] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  [34] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [35] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [36] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [37] http://www.mtu.edu/
