Pinpointing the Moon's South Pole

This video is a data visualization showing the location of the Moon’s South Pole. In the system of lunar latitude and longitude adopted by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, the Moon’s South Pole is located on the rim of Shackleton crater at a point marked by a red pin in this visualization. The definition and wide adoption of this standard coordinate system for the Moon is vital for mapping and exploring our nearest neighbor. With such a system, we can confidently pinpoint any feature on the Moon, including the exact location of its South Pole. LRO data will be a critical tool in helping NASA return humans to the lunar surface.

Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Data visualization by: Ernie Wright (USRA)
Produced and Edited by: David Ladd (AIMM)
Narrated by: David Ladd (AIMM)

Music provided by Universal Production Music: “Unmatched Skills” – John K Sands, Marc Ferrari, Michael A Tremante.

This video can be freely shared and downloaded at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4969.
While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4969
For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit https://nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines.

If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Goddard YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/NASAGoddard
Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
· Instagram http://www.instagram.com/nasagoddard
· Twitter http://twitter.com/NASAGoddard
· Twitter http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix
· Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NASAGoddard
· Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc