March 25, 2004

Russian Gores

Image Credit: J.F. Rodionova

Russian Gores The American side of the 1960s Race to the Moon is well documented at numerous web sites. Unfortunately, on the web the story of the Soviet lunar effort is less complete. Recently however, more details of the Soviet lunar program have appeared, especially on the web site of the Sternberg State Astronomical Institute of Moscow University. One paper there, by Janna Rodionova, discusses Soviet maps and globes and includes these colorful gores for a lunar globe. The depiction of surface detail was based on Zond 3, 6, 7 and Apollo 8, 11 and 13 images - and I assume Lunar Orbiter IV. Globes were produced at a scale of 1:10,000,000 whenever the International Astronomical Union added to the nomenclature - the last globe was made in 1990. Such Russian globes and maps are critical pieces of the history of exploration of the Moon. Technical Details: The gore on the left shows a segment of the lunar farside, with Mare Moscovience at the top and the lava filled crater Tsiolkovsky at the bottom left. The right gore shows the central western sector of the Moon from central Imbrium, to Copernicus and Mare Nubium. Related Links: Sternberg - Lunar & Planetary Research Yesterday's LPOD: RA9 Tomorrow's LPOD: Six Little Volcanoes

Author & Editor: Charles A. Wood

 

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