The names of the various lunar formations and lunar landscapes mostly date back to the early history of visual lunar observation.

But the LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) mission could eventually have a similarly dramatic impact on space exploration.

NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, last month slammed into one of moon's permanently shadowed craters near the south pole to study whether ice was buried underneath.