This video uses data gathered from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft to recreate some of the stunning views of the Moon that the Apollo 13 astronauts saw on their perilous journey around the far side in 1970. These visualizations, in 4K resolution, depict many different views of the lunar surface, starting with earth set and sunrise and concluding with the time Apollo 13 reestablished radio contact with Mission Control. Also depicted is the path of the free return trajectory around the Moon, and a continuous view of the Moon throughout that path. All views have been sped up for timing purposes — they are not shown in “real-time.”

Tour of the Moon in 4K

In 2011, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission released a virtual tour of the Moon, showing different lunar features. Now, in 4K resolution, they have recreated the tour using even more data collected by LRO over six years.

The tour visits interesting places on the Moon, some familiar from Earth and some only visible from space. They show different types of terrain and age, ranging from large and old areas to smaller and younger ones. Some parts near the poles are hard to photograph but easier to measure using altimetry. The tour also includes high-resolution images of Apollo landing sites near the equator.

The new tour focuses on the mineral composition of the Aristarchus plateau, the presence of surface water ice near the south pole, and the mapping of gravity in and around the Orientale basin.