First-Ever 'Road Map' of The Moon
“You’re gonna need a new map,” said the gas station attendant to David Spade in the 1995 movie Tommy Boy. As of March 3rd 2020, there’s now one more map that can’t be found on that lonely Rand McNally truck stop display. The United States Geological Survey released the first ever ‘road map’ of the surface of the moon. The official name of the 1:5,000,000-scale map is the Unified Geologic Map of The Moon.
The map was created to assist humanity with current and future Lunar projects. It is with high hopes that space exploration can one day use the lunar surface as a Launch Pad and Base Camp to get even further into space.
Not easily-made, the USGS combined data from sensors and photos from over the last 20 years to create the map. This ‘road map’ will be the official “ever-changing and ever-updated” blueprint of the surface of the moon.
Down the road, it is possible that the moon will be populated and have its own official BestofTheMoon.com destinations to visit.
"People have always been fascinated by the moon and when we might return," said current USGS Director and former NASA astronaut Jim Reilly. “So, it’s wonderful to see USGS create a resource that can help NASA with their planning for future missions.”
With recent world events, organizations like USGS (click here) and NASA (click here) have made resources available for the home classroom. Click on links to learn more.
