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APOD

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Lunar Orbiter Views Crater Copernicus

Explanation: To prepare for the Apollo landings , five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft were launched during 1966 and 1967 to gather detailed images of our fair planet's large, natural satellite . Dramatic views returned by the spacecraft cameras included this stark moonscape . The mosaic of 93 kilometer wide impact crater Copernicus features central peaks rising above the crater floor and rugged crater walls.

Note : As of today, June 16 , the APOD editors have enjoyed presenting images from space missions, major observatories, and professional and amateur cosmic tourists alike for twelve years . A sincere thanks to our web site operators, translators, and to all for the gracious email and continued APOD submissions!

Date June 16, 2007
Credit Credit: NASA , U.S. Geological Survey
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.