Hertzsprung Basin comes into view with its distinctive two concentric rings of mountains, revealing the scale of this ancient impact structure. Near the lower left, Vavilov crater—identified by its central peak—stands out, a feature often described by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby.
Source: NASA
Ancient Lava on the Moon
The Artemis II crew captured a close-up snapshot of the near side of the Moon as NASA’s Orion spacecraft approached for the lunar flyby. The near side, characterized by the dark patches of ancient lava, is visible on the top third of the lunar disk. Aristarchus crater is the bright white dot in the midst of a dark grey lava flow at the top of the image.
Source: NASA
Swoon at the Moon
This view of the southwest portion of Orientale Basin highlights its prominent annular ring—a sweeping arc of mountainous terrain formed by the immense energy of an ancient impact. The ring structure rises above the surrounding surface, tracing the basin’s outer boundary and revealing the layered, multi-ring nature of one of the Moon’s most well-preserved impact features. Apollo-era observers nicknamed this formation “the kiss,” reflecting its distinctive, curved shape.
Source: NASA
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