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Reconnoitering the Moon
Featured on June 23, 2019
The Sun illuminates the rim of Shackleton Crater at the Moon's south pole in this image from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which arrived at the Moon 10 years ago. The crater is about 13 miles (21 km) in diameter, and the Moon's geographic south pole is on the crater's rim, near the upper right corner of this image. Parts of the crater floor never see sunlight, so the crater holds deposits of frozen water. LRO has snapped the sharpest pictures of the Moon to date, allowing scientists to compile the most accurate maps. The craft has also plotted the elevation of surface features and made many other measurements. [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State]
