GRAIL Spacecraft Ready To Map The Moon

NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission has put a pair of nearly identical spacecraft in orbit around the Moon. By using radio waves to measure tiny variations in the Moon's gravitational field, the spacecraft—named Ebb and Flow—will create a high-resolution map that will give scientists a clearer picture of what lies beneath the lunar surface and will provide insight into the evolution of terrestrial planets. The latest Astro Bulletin from the Museum's Science Bulletins program looks at the two spacecraft now circling the Moon, as they prepare to provide scientists with a greater understanding of how the Moon was formed. Visitors to AMNH may view the video in the Hall of the Universe until February 18, 2012.