Virtual Moon Atlas Version 9.0

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Reverse history of the Virtual Atlas of the Moon since 1994

2027 forecast

  • Celebration of the 25th anniversary of VMA with the publication of version 10

2025

  • June 2025
    • Christian Legrand participated in the organization of the second “Rencontre Passion Lune” in Lalizolle, Allier. He led a workshop on the AVL and presented the new capabilities of the Virtual Moon Atlas Version 9.
  • Version 9 of the AVL is released online with:
    • Scrollbars in the “Maps” windows
    • 5 new buttons in the toolbar
    • Disappearance of the ASCII profile
    • New high-resolution “Color Shaded Relief” texture
    • 2 new layers “Lithologic China” and “Hydrogen Lunar Prospector”
    • 10 new historical textures ()
    • New “Wang & Wu” crater database
    • New structure of the database system with “integrated” and “connected” databases
    • New structure of the scientific layer system based on scientific content and layer origin
    • Introduction of pages for 6 new “paper” atlases
    • Update of the “Historical” database with 5 new probes
    • New image library “Best of Pelissard”
    • New “Best of Heully” image library
    • New “LRO Obliques” image library
    • New “Historical Sites” image library
    • New “People” image library
    • New and updated documentation
    • Updated website
  • January 2025:
    • The AVL website receives an average of 500 downloads per day and is approaching 2 million downloads.

2024

  • November 2024:
    • Christian Legrand and Patrick Chevalley presented the new features of the upcoming version 9 of the Virtual Moon Atlas at the Rencontres du Ciel et de l'Espace (RCE).
  • May 2024:
    • Christian Legrand presented the capabilities of the Virtual Moon Atlas Version 8 at the Nuits Astronomiques de Touraine (NAT).

2023

  • December 2023:
    • The AVL website exceeds 1,900,000 downloads since 2003.
  • August 2023:
  • May 2023:
    • Release of version 8.2 to fix issues with the databases.
  • April 2023:
    • Release of version 8.1 to fix some issues with the English database.
  • March 2023:
    • Release of version 8 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the AVL

2022

  • November 2022:
    • Exclusive presentation to the participants of the “Rencontres du Ciel et de l'Espace” at “La Cité des Sciences de la Villette” in Paris (France) of the future version 8.0 of the AVL
  • February 2022:
    • On the proposal of the astrophysicist Alain Maury, the International Astronomical Union validates the nomination of two asteroids (39792 and 39814) with the names of the authors of the AVL.

2021

  • March 2021:
    • AVL earns “The Open Source Excellence Badge” the highest honor from Sourceforge and 5 stars from all users

2020

  • September 2020 : New SMART-1 Pictures library
    • We have begun to extract formations pictures from the “Planetary Science Archive” dedicated to the european lunar probe Smart-1 which was on lunar orbit from 2003 to 2006. Many pictures are about polar formations that have not been often imaged. This Smart-1 pictures library is now included in the “virtualmoon-data.exe” installer. The VMA 7 documentation has been updated with this add-on.
  • July 2020:
    • New “LAC / LPI / O’Brien” texture realized by David O’Brien from LAC maps published by LPI / USAF
  • April 2020:
    • New version 7.0 for Windows put online with:
    • New modernized interface
    • New function buttons
    • Display possible on two separate monitors
    • Possible use of dark Windows themes
    • Possibility of moving tabs
    • Introduction of various translations of the VMA interface or of certain databases in German, Catalan, Czech, Spanish, Greek, Dutch, Hungarian, Italian, Slovak and Lithuanian, in addition to French and English.
    • 2 new very high resolution “LRO-Kaguya-Shaded” and high resolution “Clementine Negative” textures
    • A new texture “USGS Geological 2020”
    • 5 new “Historical” textures: Cassini / Divini / Riccioli / Beer & Mädler / Fauth
    • Existing databases supplemented with the following databases:
    • The Salamuniccar 78478 base now containing nearly 80,000 craters described
    • The Robbins base containing more than 1 million 300,000 craters
    • The NELIOTA base listing the current meteorite impacts on the lunar surface as part of the NELIOTA program carried out by ESA (European Space Agency) with the Athens Observatory
    • 5 new scientific layers from GRAIL & Chandrayann 1 probe data
    • the new library containing nearly 700 images of Luc Cathala, French astrophotographer.
    • New revised documentation available in PDF format
    • The updated website
  • March 2020 :
    • The VMA is presented in the “Manuel d'observation lunaire” written by Norma Desprez, Gérard Coute and Philippe Heully
    • The VMA is quoted in the remarkable book in 3 volumes « Luna Cognita » by Robert Garfinkle published by Springer
  • February 2020:
    • The VMA website is visited for the 1,800,000 th time.

2019

  • December 2019:
    • The National Observatory of Athens uses the VMA to visualize the distribution of current meteorite impacts on the lunar surface as part of the NELIOTA program carried out by ESA (European Space Agency). Christian Legrand has created a specific database for this organization.
  • September 2019:
    • Jerry Hubbell of the American Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) uses the VMA for his article “Focus on: Alphonsus, Aristarchus & Herodotus”
  • August 2019:
    • Sky and Telescope magazine recommends “The Virtual Moon Atlas” in its issue “Moon Special”, by writing “Use this handy free desktop atlas to plan your next lunar observing session”.
  • July 2019:
    • The VMA website is visited for the 1,600,000th time, and the download page for the French and English versions exceeds 1,100,000 connections.
  • June 2019:
    • In the “Special Moon” issue of Ciel & Espace, Philippe Hénarejos mentions the Virtual Atlas of the Moon.

2018

  • September 2018
    • Find Christian Legrand's new column “Lune Extrême” in the “ASTROSURF MAGAZINE” MAGAZINE available on subscription.
  • October 2018:
    • Christian Legrand presents exclusively to participants of the “Rencontres du Ciel et de l'Espace” at “La Cité des Sciences de la Villette” in Paris (France) the future version 7.0 of VMA
  • August 2018:
    • Christian Legrand presents the VMA to fifty participants during 2 workshops carried out during the Astronomical Festival of Fleurance in the Gers. During a meeting, Sylvain Boulay, research professor, indicates that the VMA is used during practical work with his students.
  • March 2018:
    • Gerald North cites VMA in his book “Observing the Solar System” published by Cambridge University press

2017

  • July 2017:
    • The VMA is presented in detail on the “Europlanet Outreach” site approved by the European Union and which lists personal or private initiatives within the framework of popularization of astronomy.
  • Mars 2017 :
    • The VMA is named in the article « Improved pointing information for SCIAMACHY from in-flight measurements of the viewing directions towards sun and moon » by Klaus Bramstedt of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

2016

  • October 2016:
    • Patrick Chevalley & Christian Legrand exclusively present to participants of the “Rencontres du Ciel et de l'Espace” at “La Cité des Sciences de la Villette” in Paris (France) the foreseeable evolutions of future versions of VMA and VPA “
  • September 2016:
    • The VMA website is visited for the 1,500,000th time, and the download page for the French and English versions exceeds one million connections.

2015

  • September 2015:
    • Christian Legrand presents VMA and VPA (Virtual Planets Atlas) during two poster sessions of the EPSC (European Planetary Science Conference) 2015 in Nantes and establishes fruitful contacts with professionals Bernard Foing (ESA) / Paul Schenk (Lunar & Planetary Institute ) / Brian Day (NASA) / Loïc Lozach (University of Lyon) …)
  • July 2015
    • VMA has received a very positive review in the “Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada” (RASC) written by Blake Nancarrow.

2014

  • November 2014:
    • The VMA website is visited for the 1,400,000 th time, and the download page for the French and English versions exceeds 900,000 connections.

2013

* March 18th 2013

  • VMA Pro6 version was present to the 44th “Lunar and Planetary Science Conference” which gathered about 2000 planetologists in Woodlands / Texas from 18th to 22th of last March.

* March 2013

  • French amateur astronomy magazine “Astronomie Magazine” presented the new VMA “Pro 6 / 10th anniversary” version in its March 2013 issue. You can access their Web page at :
  • http://astronomie-magazine.fr/

* January 2013

  • VMA Web site has been visited 1 350 000 th times, and the download page is now more than 780 000 connexions.

2012

* 15 november 2012 / New Pro 6 & 10 th anniversary” version released

  • New “Command center”
  • Improved dynamic shadows
  • Visualization of CCD cameras field
  • 2 new textures “Ultra high resolution” LRO and Chang'é 2
  • The new historical textures Hévélius / Langrénus / Beer & Mädler
  • The updated databases with the new IAU lunar nomenclature
  • The creation of the “LUNAR UNIVERSAL NUMBER / L.U.N.” © for localizing easily each lunar formation
  • The new exclusive database containing more than 52 000 anonymous graters identified by their L.U.N.
  • 5 new scientific overlays
  • The new “WEBLUN” © module with access to the main lunar Web sites
  • The new pictures library taken with the 1 meter telescope of Pic Du Midi
  • The new pictures library taken by Damian Peach

* 1st november 2012 :

  • Christian Legrand and Patrick Chevalley present together and exclusively to the “Rencontres du Ciel et de l'Espace” participants in “La Cité des Sciences de la Villette” in Paris (France) the new “Pro 6 / 10ème anniversaire” version of VMA

* 25 october 2012 :

  • The french astronomy magazine “Ciel & Espace” presents the new “Pro 6 / 10ème anniversaire” version in its november 2012 issue. You can access its Web site at

http://www.cieletespace.fr/a-la-une

* february 2012

  • The VMA Web site is visited 1 300 000 times, and the download page of french and english versions has more than 700 000 connexions.

2011

  • December 2011 : VMA is presented on “Ciel & Espace Radio”

Christian Legrand has been invited by Ciel & Espace Radio for participating in the “Ephemerisis” podcasts presented by David Fossé with Jean-Luc Dauvergne. He has presented briefly the VMA to the listeners.

  • march 2011

The VMA Web site is visited 1 200 000 times

2010

  • August 15 2010 New version 5.1
    • Correction for the bugs reported on version 5.0
    • Dynamique relief using the LOLA data.
    • New native Linux 64bit version.
  • March 25 2010
    • The french astronomy magazine “Ciel & Espace” presents the VMA story in its April 2010 issue. You can find it at the following address : http://www.cieletespace.fr/a-la-une
  • January 22 2010
    • VMA Web site has been visited more than 1 100 000 times and the “Download” page has now been accessed 600 000 times.

2009

  • December 20 2009 / New “Pro” 5.0 version with :
    • New graphic engine with new interface permitting double window display
    • New full screen display mode
    • New possible total rotation of lunar globe
    • New coordinates grid system with setup
    • New phases display with dynamic shadows on terminator
    • New “Aerograph without albedo (1000 m)” texture
    • New “Lunar Orbiter very high resolution (200 m)” texture
    • New “Lunar domes” scientific database.
    • 14 new scientific overlays (Temperature, polonium, gamma, altitude, rock types…)
    • New “Consolidated Lunar Atlas” pictures library
    • New “Kaguya” pictures library
    • PocketLun version now downloadable freely
    • New Mac/Os and Linux versions
  • June 2009
    • VMA Web site has been visited more then ##one million times## and download page counter has now more than 500 000 connections.

2008

  • May 28 2008
    • Version updated to 4.0b and 3.5c to correct a problem on some installation.
  • May 15 2008
    • New web site design
  • May 15 2008 New “Pro” 4.0 version with :
    • New pictures manager “PHOTLUN” ©
    • New “POCKETLUN” © version for Pocket PC
    • New “Lunar Orbiter high resolution (1000 m)” texture
    • New “Pyroclastic deposits” scientific database.
    • New “Clementine Color Ratio” scientific overlay
    • New “LOPAM Destripped” pictures library
    • New “Best of amateurs 2” pictures library
    • New “Best of Higgins” pictures library
    • New “Best of Lazzarotti” pictures library
    • New release CD with POCKETLUN bonus
  • February 1st 2008
    • The Virtual Moon Atlas is being used by researchers at Birkbeck College / University College London (UCL) to provide context for geochemical data collected by the D-CIXS ( http://www.sstd.rl.ac.uk/SMART-1/index.htm) instrument aboard European SMART-1 probe and for the future C1XS ( http://www.sstd.rl.ac.uk/c1xs/).instrument, which will fly to the Moon in 2008 aboard the Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission.

2007

  • September 25 2007
    • French Ministry of National Education registered the Virtual Moon Atlas as “educational software” and propose it for download on its Web server SIALLE
  • July 27 2007
  • June 10 2007
    • VMA Web site is visited for the 800 000 th times, and download page is more than 430 000 connections.
  • March 18 2007
    • VMA is presented to the “Combined Exhibit” of the 38 th “Lunar and Planetary Science Conference” with more than 1000 participants near Houston (Texas).
  • March 2007
    • Christian Legrand now writes two monthes the “Lunar Tourism” chronicle in french magazine “ESPACE MAGAZINE”

2006

  • November 12, 2006
    • New 3.5 version will be presented by Christian Legrand and Patrick Chevalley during the “Rencontres du Ciel et de l'Espace” in La Cité des Sciences de la Villette“ in Paris (France).
  • November 6, 2006 Version 3.5
    • New “Pro” version with :
    • New buttons on the interface
    • “DATLUN” © Database manager allowing the user to select on several criterias interesting formations.
    • New picture library “Apollo Mapping Cameras” with about 700 images
    • New pictures library “Best of Amateurs” with about 350 images
    • New CD-Rom presentation
  • July-August 2006
  • July 2006
    • The french magazine “Espace Magazine” recommands download and use of Virtual Moon Atlas.
  • July 2006
    • The french magazine “Ciel & Espace” recommands download and use of Virtual Moon Atlas.
  • May 15th, 2006
    • VMA is presented in the professional Bulletin of the “Lunar and Planetary Institute”
  • March 13 - 17 2006
    • VMA is presented to the “Combined Exhibit” of the 37 th “Lunar and Planetary Science Conference” with more than 1000 participants near Houston (Texas).
  • March 2006
    • VMA is used by Sir Patrick Moore's team for preparing the famous BBC television program “The Sky at Night” dedicated to the Moon.
  • February 2006
    • The VMA Web site is visited for the 500 000 th times, and the downloads page has more than 300 000 connexions.

2005

  • December 4th 2005
    • To improve US VMA users possibility to acquire the VMA CD-Rom, we have now put a PAYPAL payment possibility. We hope they will find more comfortable this situation rather than sending us US bank checks written in Euros.
  • December 4th 2005
    • Erika Rix from “Cloudy Nights Lunar Observing Forum” has realized a tutorial for VMA beginners. You can find it at the following address : http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1273 It's very useful to learn Basic VMA setup and we support Erika's initiative. Also thanks to Allister St Claire for putting this very good job in the articles pages of Cloudy Nignts site.
  • October 25 2005 Version 3.0 with :
    • INTRODUCING THE NEW “PRO” VERSION with :
    • New multi windows interface
    • Color Moon Globe
    • Scientific overlays coming from Clementine and Lunar Propector probes (altimetric, colormetric, gravity, and repartition of iron, hydrogen, potassium, thorium, neutrons…)
    • use for big hardware configuration
    • Texture ” Aerograph Clementine Full globe high resolution“
    • Texture ” Photographic Clementine Full globe very high resolution (500 m)“
    • New database “Indiced craters / Farside” (1667 entries).
    • New pictures library of Nearside named formations from “Lunar Astronautical Charts” and “Lunar Map
    • Extended new pictures library from “Consolidated Lunar Atlas” (More than 2300 images)
    • New “Pro” version CD-Rom (Software + databases + textures + scientific overlays + “LOPAM”, “Apollo”, “Probes” and “LAC / LM” pictures libraries.
  • February 1st 2005
    • French astronomical “Astronomie magazine ” includes a paper by Erwan Tanguy presenting VMA version 2.1 and indicates that “it's a well done free software, not to say remarkable”.

2004

  • October 31 2004 Version 2.1 with :
    • Versions “Basic” et “Expert” with computerized mounts driving (Celestron “Nexstar”, Meade “Autostar” and all mounts using ASCOM driver.
    • Information page presenting lunar orbit and Moon globe features.
    • New detailed database about Moon exploration historical sites (Voluntary or un voluntary impacts and probes or human missions soft landings.
  • April 7 2004
    • VMA Web site is visited for 220 000 times and the “Download” page has been accessed 150 000 times.
  • March 31 2004
    • Virtual Moon Atlas is presented in “L'Astronomie”, Société Astronomique de France magazine.
  • March 1st 2004
    • “SKY and TELESCOPE” presents briefly, in its April 2004 issue VMA 2.0 upgrade.

2003

  • August 31 2003 Version 2.0 with :
    • Introduction of “Moon complete globe” with Far Side
    • Simulation of a spatial flight orbiting the Moon
    • VMA is now separated in 3 modular versions
      • AVL “Light” : 2D software for les performances hardware
      • AVL “Basic” : Basic software presenting the “3D with librations” mode
      • AVL “Expert” : Advanced software presenting the “3D complete globe” mode
    • New texture of complete globe realized with Clementine high resolution photos by professor Mark S. Robinson and his team of the “Northwestern University”.
    • New more than 600 Far Side craters and formations descriptions
    • Database separated in three modules downloadable separately
      • “Nearside_Named” : “Named” craters and formations of the Near Side
      • “Nearside_Indiced” : “indiced / lettered” craters of the Near Side
      • “Farside_Named” : “Named” Craters and formations of the Far Side
    • Database corrections for some bad entries
    • New pictures library : “Moon Stars” 130 LOPAM pictures of the most famous lunar formations
  • August 15th 2003
    • VMA Web site is visited for 140 000 times and the “Download” page has been accessed 100 000 times.
  • May 15th 2003
    • Kitt Peak observatory uses now VMA for its public lectures involving the Moon.
  • May 10th 2003
    • “SKY and TELESCOPE” presents, in its June 2003 issue, a Gary Seronik article (“Three for the Moon” page 54) comparing two others lunar mapping softwares with VMA and which is also very positive for VMA.
  • April 15th 2003
    • “Astronomy magazine ” presents, in its May 2003 issue, a Richard Bartlett's article comparing two others lunar mapping softwares with VMA and which is very positive for VMA.
  • March 2003 Version 1.6
    • New more detailed 2D texture
    • Lunar disk orientation and inversion now possible in 2D display to see the Moon as you can observe it in your refractor or Newtonian
    • Phase improved appearance in 2D display
    • Distance and size measure tool now available in 2D display
    • New mapping texture. It's the best available from David Seals site. It shows you Moon details as in a 5 / 6 ” instrument.
    • New 3D texture display allowing quicker moves on the map.
    • Improved labels display on maps
    • Integrated notepad allowing to record your own notes on each formations.
    • Eyepiece vision simulation with possibility to enter your own eyepieces parameters.
    • Addition of about 120 pictures of some formations taken by other probes than Lunar Orbiter 4 and pictures of probes. Are included pictures from american Ranger, Lunar Orbiter 1,2,3,5, Surveyor and from soviet Luna and Lunakhod.
    • Begining of Clementine pictures series. Formations pictures taken by american probe “Clementine”. Presently, 140 pictures of nearside named formations “A” and”B“.
    • More than 5300 indiced craters ( Ex : Clavius D ) added - Creation of ” Independant reviews “ page.
    • Creation of ” Thanks “ page.
    • Creation of ” VMA History “ page (This one).
    • Creation of ” Authors and translators “ page.
    • Creation of VMA Users Forum .
  • February 2003
    • Comparative review by Chuck Taylor, from ” Lunar observing Yahoo group “ presenting pluses and minuses of the three principal lunar software on the market including VMA.
  • January 2003
    • VMA presentation at ” Société astronomique de France “, Planetary Observations Commission. To be included in CISAF CD-Rom project directed by Serge Koutchmy research director at Astrophysical Institute of Paris.
  • January 2003
    • American magazine “SKY and TELESCOPE” briefly presents VMA in its article “Hot Products for 2003”.

2002

  • December 2002
    • VMA Review on Thierry Lombry site
  • November 2002
    • VMA presentation during ” European Sky and Space Encounters 2002 “ organized by french magazine “Ciel & Espace”
  • October 31th 2002 Version 1.5 with:
    • Oriented and/or inverted 3D map to match exactly what you can observe in your refractor or in your telescope
    • Phase display even on 2D map
    • Formations names on maps depending of zoom factor
    • “Context” menu on mouse right click
    • “Neighbor” function
    • Size and distance between formations tool on 3D map
    • Maps printing with captions setup
    • Formation data printing for selected formation
    • Ephemeris printing for selected period
    • 2D full colors geological map
    • Lunar related terms glossary
    • Illustrated help including screens captures
    • Geological period of formation birth (From Pre-Nectarian to Copernician)
    • Pages of the excellent “Atlas of the lunar terminator” from John E. Westfall containing the formation
    • “Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon” pictures containing the formation with direct link to Lunar and Planetary Institute Web page
    • high resolution pictures of about 350 formations in the 45° N to 45° S zone taken duringApollo 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 et 17 missions from 1968 to1972
    • Possible integration of your electronic own CCD or webcam pictures in your pictures library
  • November 2002
    • French magazine” CIEL & ESPACE “cotes VMA in a remarkable article about ” Apollo 17 “ mission.
  • October 2002
    • VMA review on Rod Mollise site (“SKYWATCH ” founder).
  • September 28th 2002
    • New translations of VMA. Thanks to new voluntary free translators.
  • September 10th 2002
    • Article by Jacques Zufferey in the SAVAR bulletin (in French).
  • September 1st 2002
    • New translations of VMA. Thanks to voluntary free translators.
  • June 6th 2002
    • VMA version 1.0 on line
  • March to may 2002
    • Version 1.0 programmed by Patrick Chevalley
  • February 25th 2002
    • First contact of Christian Legrand with Patrick Chevalley. Virtual Moon Atlas (VMA) project presented.

1994 - 2001

  • 1999 / 2001
    • APOLLO pictures library realized by Christian Legrand ( More than 2000 examined pictures and selection of the 400 “best of”).
  • 1995 / 1999
    • LOPAM pictures library realized by Christian Legrand ( More than 3000 extracted pictures from the 640 atlas frames and selection of the 1200 “best of”).
  • 1995
    • “DB-Lune” Christian Legrand's software written in Clarion langage released with Etienne Lecoq's pictures. ( Review in French in ” Astronomie Québec “ ).
  • 1992 / 1995
    • First lunar formations database realized by Christian Legrand with D-Base II (More than 1000 informations research hours and 1200 formations typed).
en/history.txt · Last modified: 2025/06/07 11:11 by dokuadmin