GRAIL

The huge South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon can be seen in this topographical map, as blue areas represent lower regions. The white dotted outline shows the location of the mass anomaly

Astronomy

Huge metallic anomaly detected buried beneath the Moon's largest crater

The South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon is the largest impact crater in the solar system, measuring about 2,500 km (1,550 mi) across at its widest point. And now scientists have detected something strange buried under the crater.

Data from NASA's GRAIL mission provided the researchers with the gravity signatures of around 1,200 craters on the far side of the Moon

Astronomy

Study of NASA GRAIL mission data looks to unlock lunar secrets

New MIT research focusing on the gravitational signature of craters on the far side of the Moon is shedding light on the nature and origin of the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB), as well as the earliest life-supporting processes that took place in our solar system.

Artist's concept of the rifts that created the Ocean of Storms (image: NASA/Colorado School of Mines/MIT/JPL/GSFC)

Astronomy

GRAIL mission solves the mystery of the Man in the Moon

Where did the Man in the Moon come from? NASA claims that the answer to the mystery has been found by the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) orbiter mission, which ended with a controlled impact on the Moon in 2012.

Artist's concept of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (Image: NASA)

Astronomy

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter sees GRAIL's lunar impact

NASA has released images and findings from the LRO, which witnessed the GRAIL spacecraft as they struck the Moon.

Variations in the lunar gravity field as measured by NASA's GRAIL mission (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MIT/GSFC)

Astronomy

NASA's GRAIL lunar orbiters produce most detailed gravity map of the Moon

Data from NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) probes has been used to create the highest resolution gravity map yet of any body in the Solar System.