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High Noon on the Moon

The sunlight at noon minimizes shadows but enhances subtle differences in surface brightness. The dark material is mare basalt, a volcanic rock that formed when lava erupted and flooded large impact basins early in the Moon’s history.

Zoom in on the image — The sunlight at noon minimizes shadows but enhances subtle differences in surface brightness. The dark material is mare basalt, a volcanic rock that formed when lava erupted and flooded large impact basins early in the Moon’s history.

ID #:

WEB15285-2016

Source:

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University

Copyright/Owner:

NASA/GSFC/ Arizona State University

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Smithsonian Terms of Use