Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 January 16 [2]Earth's Moon is pictured but shown with exaggerated details and colors. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Moon Enhanced Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Darya Kawa Mirza Explanation: Our Moon doesn't really look like this. [4]Earth's Moon, Luna, doesn't naturally show this rich texture, and its colors are more subtle. But this digital creation is based on reality. The [5]featured image is a composite of multiple images and [6]enhanced to bring up real surface features. The enhancements, for example, show more clearly craters that illustrate the [7]tremendous bombardment our Moon has been through during its [8]4.6-billion-year history. The [9]dark areas, called [10]maria, have fewer [11]craters and were once seas of [12]molten lava. Additionally, the image [13]colors, although based on the moon's real composition, are changed and exaggerated. Here, a blue hue indicates a region that is iron rich, while orange indicates a slight excess of aluminum. Although the [14]Moon has shown the same side to the Earth for billions of years, [15]modern technology is allowing humanity to learn [16]much more about it -- and how it [17]affects the Earth. Tomorrow's picture: Andromeda, unexpected __________________________________________________________________ [18]< | [19]Archive | [20]Submissions | [21]Index | [22]Search | [23]Calendar | [24]RSS | [25]Education | [26]About APOD | [27]Discuss | [28]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell ([32]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [33]Specific rights apply. [34]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [35]ASD at [36]NASA / [37]GSFC, [38]NASA Science Activation & [39]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/MoonEnhanced_Mirza_4085.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/daryavaseum/ 4. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/in-depth/ 5. https://www.instagram.com/p/ClT7OieMS3-/ 6. https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/benson-cat-outfits-8.jpeg 7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Heavy_Bombardment 8. https://moon.nasa.gov/inside-and-out/overview/#otp_lunar_origins 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare#/media/File:Moon_names.svg 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare 11. https://youtu.be/HTukFx17Ryg 12. https://youtu.be/wiRdr5LzbwY 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210831.html 14. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-the-moon/en/ 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140113.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190717.html 17. https://www.iop.org/explore-physics/moon/how-does-moon-affect-earth 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230115.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 27. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230116 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230117.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 35. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/ 37. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 38. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 39. http://www.mtu.edu/