Grail Gravity Maps of the Moon

Grail Gravity Maps of the Lunar Highlands Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MIT / GSFC NASA released this graphic of the front (left) and back (right) of the Moon, based on gravity data from NASA’s GRAIL mission and topography data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The graphic shows regions of high and low densities of the lunar highlands. Red is high and blue is low. White shows mare basalt regions and solid circles are prominent impact basins. On the back side of the Moon, the South Pole-Aitken basin, has a higher than average density that reflects its atypical iron-rich surface composition. Below is a highly detail gravity map of the front (visible) side of the Moon. You can watch the movie. Grail Gravity Map of the Visible Side of the Moon Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MIT / GSFC

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