Extreme Illumination Atlas of the Moon

In the 400 years since Galileo first sketched the Moon, thousands of drawings were made and millions of photographs taken depicting the surface of this nearest alien world. Drawings, photographs, multispectral optical and radar images as well as magnetic, gravity and topographic surveys have each revealed additional information about the Moon. Here we introduce a new visual perspective that explores very subtle topographic structures within maria and other apparently smooth terrains of the lunar surface. Employing an extremely low illumination angle of 0.1° above the horizon, with illumination coming from directions not provided naturally by the Sun, we present a new atlas of the Moon demonstrating that what is seen, and what is known, depends on how one looks. For example, the vast lava fields that make up lunar maria appear smooth and relatively featureless in most images. But each visualization making up the Extreme Illumination Atlas of the Moon reveals never before seen subtle topography across hundreds of miles of maria or the whole Moon. Truly, a new world is revealed. The remarkable and unexpected views provided by this unique atlas will stimulate new investigations and understanding of lunar geology for professional planetary scientists and amateur observers, as well as for nature lovers who wish to admire our neighbor world that humans are now preparing to soon revisit and ultimately inhabit. Indeed, the very subtle slopes and low landforms, some seen here for the first time, show the landscapes that people on the lunar surface will experience.