Sometimes, it must be really sad to be a space probe, dying alone in the cold, dark nowhere. On the other side, I wish my last view was the Moon.

Yesterday's video of Selene's final approach to the moon was actually a 3D reconstruction, using previous mission photos of the surface, real time flight data points, and the three-dimensional map that the probe has been capturing during its mission,

This was made because the probe couldn't relay HD video in real time, but it sent high resolution photographs. Above, the final image just before crashing into the dark side of the moon, almost pitch black. Below, the complete series just before impact. Click on the thumbs for the 1024-pixel versions.

[JAXA Photo Archives]

The video next to these lines shows Antoniadi from approximately 13 miles (21 km). The large impact crater—located on the southern hemisphere, on the far side of the Moon—has an irregular edge, and it's one of the few craters in our satellite that has a second inner ring. Antoniadi's lowest point—measured by Selene's laser altimeter-is 5.5 miles deep.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The video below was taken from the perilune, the closest point to the Moon in Selene's trajectory: Just 6.8 miles high.

According to JAXA, the impact will take place on 18:30, June 10, 2009 (GMT) at E80 S63, on the near side of the moon, close to its south pole.

Until then, Kaguya—as it's called in Japanese—will keep recording high definition video at low altitude and doing whatever cool Moon probes do when they are not being watched, probably sing Sinatra songs. [JAXA YouTube Channel and JAXA]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

Even while it's all black, in the video you can see the Earth rising over the Moon's surface and hiding the Sun at the same time. It must be lonely for Selene up there, but boy, what a view. [JAXA]

So far Selene has collected six million data points, and it keeps going on. These 3D data points are all being processed now to further enhance what already is the most detailed topographic map in the history of space exploration.

JAXA—Japan's space agency—also announced that the Selene mission has gathered detailed information regarding the mineral composition of parts of the Moon's surface, including thorium, potassium, and uranium sites.

This topographical and mineral information will be crucial for the planning for future manned lunar missions, including the foundation of permanent lunar posts. And they can always include them in the next edition of Rand McNally's Moon Road Atlas, so astronauts can keep it in the glove compartment. [JAXA]