June 7, 2011
There have been nearly 50 missions to study the Moon since Luna 2 arrived in 
1959, but only now are high-quality image maps of our entire satellite becoming available.
The best so far available has been constructed from photos taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter (LRO). This spacecraft is equipped with a high-resolution camera that reveals objects on the lunar surface only a few feet across.
A browsable image of the Moon's near side provided by the LRO is available for viewing at a site provided by Arizona State University's LRO team.