When a NASA spacecraft passes over Shackleton Crater on the moon and peers in, it sees this: a sea of blackness and nothing more.

       This 13-mile-wide crater lies close to the moon’s south pole.

       Here, the sun never rises high above the horizon, and the rim of Shackleton blocks the sun’s rays from ever shining directly onto the crater floor.

       There are more than 300 such permanently shadowed craters on the moon, and the darkness hides an intriguing mystery: oases of frozen water, which could provide a key resource for astronauts living there in the future.

       Scientists have now figured out how to, in essence, flip on the light switch.

       Here is what the inside of Shackleton Crater looks like.

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       The Moon’s Most Shadowy Places Can’t Hide From NASA’s New Camera

       By Kenneth Chang

       July 25, 2024

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       How is it possible to take a picture of a place where the sun never shines?

       Hint: A giant electronic flash is not practical.

       These new views are the fruits of ShadowCam, an instrument that NASA provided for Danuri, a South Korean orbiter that arrived at the moon in December.

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