When you think of the Moon, you probably imagine it as a pitted grey planet that shines bright at night. Most images of the Moon depict a gray-scale orb that’s not very exciting. But NASA recently released a colorized image of the Moon, and it is positively breathtaking. The vibrant photo took Instagrammers by storm, who loved seeing the Moon in a new, colorful light.
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The Picture Looks Like a Bath Bomb
NASA quickly pointed out that the Moon won’t fizz in your tub. The image helps scientists analyze the Moon and its properties.
“The unusual colors in this photograph help scientists study what the Moon’s soil is made of. Areas appearing red generally correspond to the lunar highlands, while blue to orange shades indicate the ancient volcanic lava flow of a mare, or lunar sea. Bluer mare areas contain more titanium than the orange regions do. The deep blue patch on the right is Mare Tranquillitatis, and it’s richer in titanium than Mare Serenitatis, a slightly smaller circular area to the upper left of Mare Tranquillitatis. Finally, the small purple areas found near the center are deposits formed by explosive volcanic eruptions,” the Instagram post explains.
NASA added, “While this image won’t give you a luxurious bubble bath, meditating on all its colors can be just as relaxing.”
This person thought it looked familiar, writing, “It looks like a giant Christmas ball.”
There was a petition for someone to get moving on the bath bomb idea, “Any chance you guys could make official NASA bath bombs that look like this.”
This person appreciated the scientific lesson NASA shared. ” Thank you for the very educational and interesting caption!”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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