22. Surface of the Moon — Soil Close-Up
Fra Mauro Highlands, Moon

This high-resolution 3-D view of the lunar soil is one of several obtained using a close-up stereoscopic camera placed at different locations by the Apollo 14 astronauts during their moonwalks. A “raindrop” pattern can be seen in this close-up image of undisturbed lunar soil. The raindrop patterns noticed by the astronauts are small pits formed by the continual impact of micrometeorites (smaller than 1 millimeter) into the lunar soil. Rock samples brought back from the Moon have impact pits as small as a few millimeters across. Apollo 14 landed in the Fra Mauro highlands in February 1971.

Apollo 14 image AS14-77-10370.
Vertical Exaggeration: 2× normal
Image Width: 82 millimeters

Right click here to download a high-resolution version of the image (272 KB)