Not so long ago, we believed that the Moon was much like our planet. To earth-bound observers, lunar features appeared as great seas and even vegetation-covered plains. Today, of course, we know that quite the opposite is true and that the lunar landscape is not like Earth’s at all.
From Earth, the major features of the Moon’s surface appear simply as lighter and darker regions, but these features are anything but simple. They represent vast basins, sprawling lava plains, and even a few mountain ranges.
Luna’s brighter highlands are riddled with ancient impact craters that can be seen even today. In the darker mares, those impact sites are not so apparent - likely due to flows from hot material during early lunar existence.
One of the most prominent lunar features is Tycho Crater. Visible as a bright ridged circular region near the Moon’s lower limb, and believed to have been formed by a relatively recent impact, this crater has been a target for many telescopes and the subject of much scientific study.
The following slidecast, the first in a series of several featuring the lunar surface, offers a more in-depth look at this fascinating lunar feature.
