(ORDO NEWS) — There are craters on the moon, and sunlight never hits the bottom. NASA was able to take a closer look at what is happening near these craters by combining imaging data from two Earth months.
In some craters near the poles of the Moon, sunlight never penetrates. NASA has collected images from the last two Earth months and built a visualization that allows you to take a closer look at these relief elements.
At the North and South Poles of the Moon, the sun never rises above 1.5 ° above the horizon. The pattern of light and shadow formed due to the peculiarities of lighting does not occur anywhere else on the Moon or on Earth. NASA surveyed several craters near the poles over two lunar days, equal to two Earth months, and pooled the data.
When the Moon rotates on its axis, the Sun slides along the horizon, moving 360 degrees around the terrain. Mountains up to 120 kilometers from the poles cast shadows on the surrounding landscape. When the sun is at such a low angle, it cannot reach the bottom of some deep craters.
Places that the sun never hits are known as eternal shadow craters. There are some of the coldest points in the solar system, and due to low temperatures volatile chemicals are deposited there, including water ice, which sublimates under harsh lighting – it turns from a solid state immediately into a gaseous state.
Around the poles of the Earth, the Sun also moves in a circle and also causes various relief elements to cast shadows. For example, from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice, the Sun rises higher near the poles, reaching 23.4 ° above the horizon. It closes the horizon for only a few days on the days of the equinox. At the poles of the moon, the sun is always close to the horizon, and the shadows always remain long, not allowing a glimpse into the depths of some craters.
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