Some of the strangest but most
beautiful features on the moon
are lunar swirls. The most
famous one, Reiner Gamma, is a
favorite target of backyard
telescopes. Using data from the
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, we
now know swirls are the result
of local magnetic fields in the
moon’s crust that act like
stencils, selectively blocking
radiation from the sun and
causing parts of the surface to
weather at different rates –
producing interesting patterns
and coloration. 
