Nobile Crater

2022-04-29 – This mosaic image of the south polar region of the Moon is made up of more than 1500 images taken by the Clementine spacecraft. The region around the Nobile Crater is where VIPER will roam. Nobile crater is circled. Since the Moon's axis is nearly perpendicular to the Sun, sunlight does not reach the bottom of craters at the poles. The Moon's south pole therefore contains many areas that are permanently shadowed – making it an attractive target for water-seeking exploration. (Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS/CSA)