In a like manner, the lunar surface experiences tides of around 10 cm (4 in) amplitude over 27 days, with two components: a fixed one due to Earth, because they are in synchronous rotation, and a varying component from the Sun. The Earth-induced component arises from libration, a result of the Moon's orbital eccentricity (if the Moon's orbit were perfectly circular, there would only be solar tides).

The Moon's Surface. From lunar orbit, astronauts pointed cameras out the window of their spacecraft to capture photos of the moon's surface. The closest look we’ve had at the moon came from the launch of NASA’s Apollo program in the 1960s. Between 1967 and 1972, a series of missions landed the first men on the moon.

Basically, it has been observed that the size of impact craters on the surface of the Moon have decreased over time. Other prominent geological features found on the surface of the Moon include maria, rilles, domes, wrinkle ridges, and grabens. The maria, which comprise about one-third of the Moon’s near side,...

The surface of the Moon has been subject to billions of years of collisions with both small and large asteroidal and cometary materials. Over time, these impact processes have pulverized and "gardened" the surface materials, forming a fine-grained layer termed regolith .

The moon's surface is covered with dead volcanoes, impact craters, and lava flows, some visible to the unaided stargazer. Early scientists thought the dark stretches of the moon might be oceans, and so named such features mare, which is Latin for "seas" ( maria when there are more than one).

The moon is littered with craters, which are formed when meteors hit its surface. They may have central peaks and terraced walls, and material from the impact (ejecta) can be thrown from the crater, forming rays that emanate from it. Craters come in many sizes, and you'll see that the highlands are more densely cratered than the maria.

The new maps are an improvement over the old 1979 Lunar Chart, featuring high-resolution images that cover the entire surface of the moon, USGS officials said. "These maps were designed to help ...

The  moon  shines because its surface reflects light from the sun. And despite the fact that it sometimes seems to shine very brightly, the moon reflects only between 3 and 12 percent of the...