One of the more prominent craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] on the Moon [ http://www.seds.org…] is named Copernicus [ http://www-groups.d…]. Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nas…] is a large young crater visible with binoculars slightly northwest of the center of the Moon's Earth-facing hemisphere [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Copernicus [ http://www.hawastso…] is distinguished by its size and by the many bright rays pointing out from it. Although Copernicus is relatively young for a lunar crater, it was formed nearly a billion years ago by a colossal impact [ http://cass.jsc.nas…]. The center of Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nas…A17_Photography_metr ic.html#Copernicus ] is about 93 kilometers across. The above picture [ http://cass.jsc.nas…] was taken in 1972 by the last human mission to the moon: Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. The prospects for a return have been boosted recently with increased evidence of ice deposits near the lunar poles [ http://george.arc.n…].
Explanation
One of the more prominent craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] on the Moon [ http://www.seds.org…] is named Copernicus [ http://www-groups.d…]. Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nas…] is a large young crater visible with binoculars slightly northwest of the center of the Moon's Earth-facing hemisphere [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Copernicus [ http://www.hawastso…] is distinguished by its size and by the many bright rays pointing out from it. Although Copernicus is relatively young for a lunar crater, it was formed nearly a billion years ago by a colossal impact [ http://cass.jsc.nas…]. The center of Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nas…A17_Photography_metr ic.html#Copernicus ] is about 93 kilometers across. The above picture [ http://cass.jsc.nas…] was taken in 1972 by the last human mission to the moon: Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. The prospects for a return have been boosted recently with increased evidence of ice deposits near the lunar poles [ http://george.arc.n…].
