LRO’s New Maps of Lunar Surface Characteristics

LOLA data give us three complementary views of the near side of the moon: the contours of the landscape, or topography (left), along with new maps of the surface slope values (middle) and the roughness of the topography (right). All three views are centered on the relatively young impact crater Tycho, with the Orientale basin on the left side. The slope magnitude indicates the steepness of terrain, while roughness indicates the presence of large blocks, both of which are important for surface operations. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Larger Images

LOLA data give us three complementary views of the near side of the moon: the contours of the landscape, or topography (left), along with new maps of the surface slope values (middle) and the roughness of the topography (right). All three views are centered on the relatively young impact crater Tycho, with the Orientale basin on the left side. The slope magnitude indicates the steepness of terrain, while roughness indicates the presence of large blocks, both of which are important for surface operations. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Larger Images