For the first time, the entire Moon surface has been completely mapped and uniformly classified by scientists from the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, in collaboration with NASA and the Lunar Planetary Institute.
Unified Geologic Map of the Moon: As per the USGS, the lunar map, called the “Unified Geologic Map of the Moon,” will serve as the definitive blueprint of the moon’s surface geology for future human missions and will be invaluable for the international scientific community, educators and the public-at-large. The digital map is available online now and shows the moon’s geology in incredible detail (1:5,000,000 scale).
Process to create lunar map: To create the new digital map, scientists used information from six Apollo-era regional maps along with updated information from recent satellite missions to the moon.
Facts about Moon missions
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union’s Lunar programme.
- The first manned orbital mission was Nasa’s Apollo 8 in 1968.
- The first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission
