Luna Surfaces

The Moon’s surface preserves a remarkable record of billions of years of Solar System history. With almost no atmosphere, erosion or active geological processes to erase them, impact craters and other ancient formations can remain visible for immense periods of time.

Through a telescope, the lunar landscape reveals an extraordinary variety of features: vast dark maria, bright highlands, mountain ranges, valleys, rilles and countless impact craters. Some of the finest details become especially visible close to the terminator, where the low angle of sunlight creates long shadows that dramatically emphasise the relief of the terrain.

High-resolution lunar imaging makes it possible to explore individual formations in remarkable detail, from the great craters Tycho and Copernicus to the Apennine Mountains, Mare Imbrium and Alpine Valley, revealing a landscape shaped primarily by impacts and ancient volcanic activity.