ASU space camera captures breathtaking photos of Earth
Cameras operated by Arizona State University captured this image on Oct. 12, 2015 of the moon and Earth. The cameras are mounted on a spacecraft orbiting the moon. (Photo: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
Today the Republic featured photos taken from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a NASA spacecraft equipped with three Arizona State University cameras. The images feature Earth seen from the moon.
Obtaining such a stunning image was difficult, said ASU’s Mark Robinson, lead scientist for the orbiter’s cameras. The spacecraft was passing by at 3,580 miles per hour and had to roll on its side in order to capture the image. "I was very happy it worked and very impressed by how beautiful it turned out to be," he said.
The spacecraft has been in orbit since 2009. It carries two high-resolution cameras and a third wide-angle lens which provides lower-resolution images.
"The image is simply stunning," said Noah Petro, Deputy Project Scientist for LRO at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement. "The image of the Earth evokes the famous 'Blue Marble' image taken by Astronaut Harrison Schmitt during Apollo 17, 43 years ago, which also showed Africa prominently in the picture."
These amazing images can be viewed here.
Article source: The RepublicMore ASU in the news
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