Fly Me to the Moon Map

Google Moon left, LROC right

NASA has launched a map of the moon's northern polar region. The LROC Northern Polar Mosaic is an interactive map of the north pole of the moon from 60 to 90 degrees north latitude.

The map uses satellite images which are incredibly detailed at two-meters-per-pixel and rather puts Google's own Google Moon map to shame. The image above shows the J. Herschel Crater displayed on Google Moon and the new LROC Mosaic. The Google Moon image on the left is fully zoomed in, while the LROC map has five further levels of zoom.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter entered lunar orbit in June 2009 and it has taken four years to create this mosaic image of the moon's north pole. It has been well worth the wait.