Object: L 3
Feature Name: Mare/highland dichotomy
Significance: Two materials with distinct compositions

This unusual view of the Moon uses a technique to bring out the true colour of the lunar surface. The colour is always there but is washed out by the brightness contrast when we view it. If you look closely at colour photographs of the Moon you can make out subtle shades of orange and blue.

By increasing the saturation of the colour and using the luminance of the original image it is possible to create this enhanced colour version of the Moon. It isn't false colour, it's true colour enhanced.

Compare this image to a colour image taken by the Galileo space probe - http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/hires/gal_p41491.gif. The methodology for creating this image is described at http://www.atalaia.org/filipe/moon/colorofthemoon.htm.