MSGID: 1:153/757.0 601ea0bf
TZUTC: -0700
CHRS: LATIN-1 2
                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                                2025 June 28

                                Lunar Farside
   Image Credit: NASA / GSFC / Arizona State Univ. / Lunar Reconnaissance
                                   Orbiter

   Explanation: Tidally locked in synchronous rotation, the Moon always
   presents its familiar nearside to denizens of planet Earth. From lunar
   orbit, the Moon's farside can become familiar, though. In fact this
   sharp picture, a mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's wide
   angle camera, is centered on the lunar farside. Part of a global mosaic
   of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011,
   the highest resolution version shows features at a scale of 100 meters
   per pixel. Surprisingly, the rough and battered surface of the farside
   looks very different from the nearside covered with smooth dark lunar
   maria. A likely explanation is that the farside crust is thicker,
   making it harder for molten material from the interior to flow to the
   surface and form dark, smooth maria.

                        Tomorrow's picture: dark sand
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
 * Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)
SEEN-BY: 1/19 16/0 19/10 37 105/81 106/201 123/130 128/187 129/14
SEEN-BY: 129/305 134/100 142/104 153/135 143 148 151 757 6809 7083
SEEN-BY: 153/7715 154/110 201/0 203/0 218/700 840 221/1 6 242 360
SEEN-BY: 226/30 227/114 229/110 114 206 307 317 400 426 428 470 664
SEEN-BY: 229/700 705 240/5832 266/512 280/5003 5006 291/111 301/1
SEEN-BY: 320/119 219 319 2119 322/757 762 335/364 341/66 342/200 396/45
SEEN-BY: 423/81 460/58 633/280 712/848 902/26 5020/400 5075/35
PATH: 153/757 221/6 1 320/219 229/426