lro

Footprints on the Moon: Photos with a Different View of the Moon Landings

In 2009, NASA launched an orbiter around the Moon with the goal of capturing high-resolution images of the surface, including sites explored by Apollo missions. These images of incredible precision also aimed to convince some of the veracity of the Apollo missions.

NASA Takes You Inside Apollo 8, Recreates Experience of Taking Iconic Earthrise Photo

When it comes to iconic imagery, there are few individual photographers who can best NASA. From the pale blue dot, to the blue marble, to the amazing photo of Bruce McCandless II floating out into space on the first ever untethered space walk, NASA's got quite a repository of amazing imagery.

One of those iconic images, dubbed AS8-14-2383 but better known as Earthrise, is about to turn 45 years old on Christmas Eve. And so NASA thought it appropriate to share the story of how luck and teamwork helped the astronauts of Apollo 8 capture this photo.

Super-High Resolution Video of the Moon Rotating Created from LRO Pictures

Short and sweet, the video above is also impressive. Although it might seem banal enough -- what's so special about a video of the moon going through a full rotation? -- what you're looking at is a super-high resolution time-lapse that shows all of the Moon, including the part that's never visible from Earth. And it was all made possible by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.