Exploration of the Moon Exploration of the Moon The physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation from Earth. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap in the quality of lunar observations. Galileo Galilei is generally credited as the first person to use a telescope for astronomical purposes; having made his own telescope in 1609, the mountains and craters on the lunar surface were among his
Solar eclipses on the Moon at 43.31°S) where the temperatures remains high. Some craters are slightly cooler but as warm as the surface and warmer than areas outside the mares (basins) such as Copernicus and Langrenus. On the Moon, when there is a partial eclipse, one example is when half of the Sun is blocked (north or south), a part of the Moon has a partial eclipse (north or south). In some partial eclipses when the center of the Earth's shadow misses the Moon, one example is one hemisphere has a partial eclipse and the other does not. In some eclipses when the center of