I just saw some incredible images from the Mars Orbiter satellite that shows the Phoenix landing as well as pics of  one of the Rovers...

Do we have such lunar capabilities to get detailed digital pics of the lunar surface, including the dark side? What is the best imaging resolution so far on the moon landscape? I am still in awe of seeing these images from Mars...wow! You would think we would have similar resolution ppics (or better) of the moon. 

Nathan Whitsett

Perhaps this article on NASA's web site can help.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/mmb/moon-20080227.html

Thanks...

 

 I guess I'm wondering why we have not yet seen any images of any of the lunar landing remnants from the 6 Apollo missions. My understanding is that we left some rather large size objects on the surface...if we can see the Rovers on Mars in pics, why not yet any of the lunar landing residuals?

There are at least two answers to this question:

1. The cameras used so far to image the Moon have not had sufficient resolution to pick up the items left there by the Apollo missions.
2. NASA has not given this any sort of priority. Zero priority, as far as I know.

Getting there to do the job is very expensive and their priorities lie elsewhere. A recent Japanese mission suggests there may be other avenues of approach, but so far NASA isn't "going there."

The same has been true of the Mars missions: imaging man-made objects has not been a priority until very recently, when NASA figured out how to improve the resolution of images made by spacecraft already in orbit. Subsequently, missions have been analyzed to determine windows of opportunity for setting up such shots in advance.

It's already been done, after a fashion.  Challenger, Apollo 17's Lunar Module was photographed by the Apollo 17 command capsule in 1972.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020628.html

Dave Mitsky

We should be getting modern, high resolution pictures of such equipment left on the moon from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, due to launch in March 2009.  It should give us resolution on par with that of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at Mars.  The highest resolution with probably be around a half meter or so.  It won't be crystal clear, but you will still be able to make out most of the bigger equipment.  Don't even think about imaging the flag though as that won't happen.