reply to post by ian990003100
Actually, all of the information NASA released (they released more data, not just this photo and animation) is very telling and very important for
future manned Moon visits and especially for the future permanent Moon base location. These are not newly-taken pictures, but existing pictures that
have been enhanced using terrain-mapping information. The terrain-mapping of the Lunar South Pole is especially interesting.
The pictures and data released yesterday show lighting conditions during one lunar "day" (about 27 Earth days), plus they show that the South
Pole's surface is much more rugged with much steeper terrain than previously expected. Both of these observations have large implications for future
Manned Moon exploration missions that consider the South Pole as a prime exploration site.
NASA is currently scouting locations for its future Moon Base (to be put there in the next 15-20 years). The poles are among the best places on the
Moon to set up a permanent base because there are some highlands there that receive continuous sunlight and are never dark. This is ideal for setting
up the solar power stations that will provide power to the base. Plus there is a chance that water ice occurs in craters that are deep enough that
they have't received sunlight for millions of years (thus no chance for water evaporation). This water may have been brought there by comets and
meteorites. Finding water on the Moon would be very helpful for a future Moon base.
The Sun shining from such a low angle in the Moon's polar sky's is what causes this odd illumination -- some high places are always sunlit, while
some crater floors are always in the dark.
[edit on 2/28/2008 by Soylent Green Is People]
