image: This lunar topographic map shows one of the most densely cratered regions on the moon. The topography is derived from over 2.4 billion shots made by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) instrument on board the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. These most heavily cratered areas are among the best candidates to study and explore to understand the earliest lunar history. This image relates to an article that appeared in the Sept. 17, 2010, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. James Head of Brown University in Providence, R.I., and colleagues was titled, "Global Distribution of Large Lunar Craters: Implications for Resurfacing and Impactor Populations." view more
Credit: Image: NASA/LRO/LOLA/GSFC/MIT/Brown