Don’t peek at the answer until you’ve given this a good try! Then, scroll down a bit and the truth will be revealed to you.

Image Credit: (NASA)

Okay. So you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that this is the Moon. In fact, it is the crater Copernicus seen at a glancing angle. But since this month’s ODYSSEY’s theme is “skin,” NASA scientists would like to ask you a question: What do the Moon and your skin have in common? Well, it’s simple really. If you’ve ever seen the Moon through a telescope during any phase but full, you can see see craters, boulders, hills, and valleys. It’s the same with skin. Look closely enough with a microscope under similar lighting conditions, you can see many of the same features. No matter how smooth you think your skin is, under a microscope, it’s a lunar landscape.

Believe it or not, cosmetic firms, such as Estee Lauder, are now using image processing software originally developed by NASA to study the Moon to study the effectiveness of their products. Skin care specialists at the cosmetic firms take “before” and “after” pictures of skin treated with a moisturizer or anti-wrinkle cream. The image processing software provides an accurate and readable picture of how well the products work.