Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                               2023 January 16
     [2]Earth's Moon is pictured but shown with exaggerated details and
      colors. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                                Moon Enhanced
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Darya Kawa Mirza

   Explanation: Our Moon doesn't really look like this. [4]Earth's Moon,
   Luna, doesn't naturally show this rich texture, and its colors are more
   subtle. But this digital creation is based on reality. The [5]featured
   image is a composite of multiple images and [6]enhanced to bring up
   real surface features. The enhancements, for example, show more clearly
   craters that illustrate the [7]tremendous bombardment our Moon has been
   through during its [8]4.6-billion-year history. The [9]dark areas,
   called [10]maria, have fewer [11]craters and were once seas of
   [12]molten lava. Additionally, the image [13]colors, although based on
   the moon's real composition, are changed and exaggerated. Here, a blue
   hue indicates a region that is iron rich, while orange indicates a
   slight excess of aluminum. Although the [14]Moon has shown the same
   side to the Earth for billions of years, [15]modern technology is
   allowing humanity to learn [16]much more about it -- and how it
   [17]affects the Earth.

                  Tomorrow's picture: Andromeda, unexpected
     __________________________________________________________________

      [18]< | [19]Archive | [20]Submissions | [21]Index | [22]Search |
   [23]Calendar | [24]RSS | [25]Education | [26]About APOD | [27]Discuss |
                                    [28]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([32]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [33]Specific rights apply.
              [34]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [35]ASD at [36]NASA / [37]GSFC,
                         [38]NASA Science Activation
                           & [39]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/MoonEnhanced_Mirza_4085.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/daryavaseum/
   4. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/in-depth/
   5. https://www.instagram.com/p/ClT7OieMS3-/
   6. https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/benson-cat-outfits-8.jpeg
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Heavy_Bombardment
   8. https://moon.nasa.gov/inside-and-out/overview/#otp_lunar_origins
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare#/media/File:Moon_names.svg
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare
  11. https://youtu.be/HTukFx17Ryg
  12. https://youtu.be/wiRdr5LzbwY
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210831.html
  14. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-the-moon/en/
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140113.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190717.html
  17. https://www.iop.org/explore-physics/moon/how-does-moon-affect-earth
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230115.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  27. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230116
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230117.html
  29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  35. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  38. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  39. http://www.mtu.edu/