APOD: 2026 October 10 – Lunar Farside
The post APOD: 2026 October 10 – Lunar Farside appeared first on NASA Science .
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day showcases the lunar farside, which is often unfamiliar to Earth inhabitants. Tidally locked with synchronous rotation, the Moon continually shows its nearside to our planet. However, when observed from lunar orbit, the farside can become a familiar sight. The featured high-resolution image is a mosaic constructed from over 15,000 wide-angle camera pictures captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter between 2009 and 2011.
The resolution of the final picture allows features to be discerned at a scale of 100 meters per pixel.
Contrasting sharply with the nearside, which is adorned with smooth dark lunar maria, the farside presents a rough and battered surface. The explanation for this stark contrast lies in the crustal thickness; the farside crust appears to be thicker than its opposite side. This thickness impedes the upward flow of molten material from the interior, preventing the formation of dark maria. The image was compiled by NASA, the Goddard Space Flight Center, Arizona State University, and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team.
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- APOD: 2026 October 10 – Lunar Farside science.nasa.gov
