This high-resolution video shows a complete rotation of the Moon, assembled from thousands of images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Every crater, mare and mountain range across the entire surface comes into view as the Moon turns.
Because the Moon is tidally locked with Earth, it rotates on its axis at the same rate that it orbits our planet. That is why we always see the same face from the ground. This compilation finally lets us explore the far side that remains permanently hidden from terrestrial observers.
The result is one of the most detailed and scientifically accurate full-sphere views of our nearest neighbor ever created.