The Moon: Copernicus Crater Central Peak | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
West-to-east view of Copernicus crater central peak complex. The sharp boundary at the base of the 700 meter high peak in the foreground is a now frozen sea of impact melt that flooded the floor of the crater in its final stages of formation. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) M196665381LR, image is ~8 km wide
Central peak with bouldery outcrops and streak seen from the east (top), and the west (bottom)
Reduced resolution view of the entire Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) view of Copernicus crater
Subsampled synoptic view of the central peak complex, image is ~18 km wide, the tallest peak rises more than 1300 meters above the floor
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) captured this view of the heart of Copernicus crater (9.62°N, 339.92°E, 93 km diameter) just before sunset, on July 11, 2012. LROC can only be slewed large angles while looking away from the Sun, otherwise its radiators are exposed to the hot Moon and the LROC Wide Angle Camera (WAC) optics are exposed to the Sun. So back-to-back obliques are not possible on the same day. Between May and July, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) passed over the terminator (boundary between night and day) and thus the direction to the Sun reversed, in terms of LRO. On that orbit the daylight side switched from one side of the Moon to the other, at least from the perspective of the spacecraft.
Copernicus is a lunar impact crater located in eastern Oceanus Procellarum. It was named after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). It typifies craters that formed during the Copernican period in that it has a prominent ray system. It may have been created by debris from the breakup of the parent body of asteroid 495 Eulalia 800 million years ago.
What are those dark streaks we see on the peak?
There is a dark streak visible on both sides of the central peak, showing that it is three dimensional within the peak. Might it be a dark rock intruded as a dike into the light colored crystalline bedrock that was brought up from beneath the deepest part of the transient cavity in the Copernicus target? Or is it simply a dark rock that is eroding and slumping down the sides of the peak?
Because of their state of preservation (despite being nearly a billion years old) and the identification of scientifically interesting mineralogy from remote sensing spectroscopy, the central peaks of Copernicus have long been coveted by lunar explorers as a prime location for a mission, including sample return. In fact, Copernicus was considered as an Apollo landing site. To sample the peak you would not need to scale the slopes. In the first image, you can see many rocks and boulders that have rolled down from the summit, lying on the relatively flat floor waiting to be picked up.
When and how will we first visit this fascinating and geologically rich area? Imagine the view astronauts will have as they descend to the floor and then step out at the base of this peak.
LRO has made a 3-D map of the Moon's surface at 100-meter resolution and 98.2% coverage (excluding polar areas in deep shadow), including 0.5-meter resolution images of Apollo landing sites.
LRO has been studying the Moon from up close since 2009, making it the longest-lived lunar orbiting mission ever. The orbiter has mapped the Moon’s surface and measured its temperature, composition, and radiation environment in unprecedented detail. Data from LRO enables NASA, and our international and commercial partners, to select locations on the lunar surface where spacecraft and astronauts can safely land. The orbiter is also helping NASA identify areas near the Moon’s South Pole with crucial resources like water and extended sunlight that provides power for equipment and supports exploration activities.
Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Text Credit: Mark Robinson
Release Date: July 18, 2012
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