Images: NASA’s Lucy spacecraft provides new views of the moon

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured this picture of the moon’s floor on Oct 16, 2022, about 6.5 hours after it flew by the Earth for its first of three gravity assists. The picture was taken whereas Lucy was between the Earth and the moon, roughly 160,000 miles (260,000 km) from the moon, so it exhibits exhibits a perspective acquainted to Earth-based observers. The picture is of a 800 mile (1200 km) extensive patch close to the middle of the final quarter moon. Many acquainted craters are seen, together with the comparatively recent crater Arzachel simply left of middle. The distinguished fault scarp known as the Straight Wall is seen chopping throughout the lava plains to the decrease left of middle.

The picture, which is made by combining ten separate 2 millisecond exposures of the identical scene to maximise picture high quality, has been sharpened. Every pixel represents roughly 0.8 miles (1.3 km).

This picture was taken with L’LORRI (Lucy LOng Vary Reconnaissance Imager), Lucy’s excessive decision greyscale imager. L’LORRI was offered and operated by Johns Hopkins Utilized Physics Laboratory.

Terminator mosaic

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured this mosaic of the moon’s floor on Oct 16, 2022, between 7.5 and eight hours after it flew by the Earth for its first of three gravity assists. At its closest strategy, the flyby took the spacecraft inside 224 miles (360 km) of the Earth, passing beneath the altitude of the worldwide space station. Lucy was a mean of roughly 140,000 miles (230,000 km) from the moon when these pictures had been taken.

The mosaic was taken whereas Lucy was between the Earth and the moon, so it exhibits a perspective acquainted to Earth-based observers, centered close to the terminator of the final quarter moon. The view consists of the rugged, closely cratered, Southern Highlands close to the underside of the mosaic, and the traditional, lava-filled affect basin Mare Imbrium close to the highest. The brilliant, recent crater Copernicus is conspicuous close to the left fringe of the mosaic.

This mosaic, which is made out of 5 separate 1 millisecond exposures, has been sharpened. Notice that the picture overlaying the uppermost portion of the sting of the moon was taken at an earlier time, leading to a small mismatch within the pictures there. Every pixel represents roughly 0.7 miles (1.2 km).

Single body of Mare Imbrium

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured this picture of the moon’s floor on Oct 16, 2022, about 8 hours after it flew by the Earth for its first of three gravity assists. The picture was taken whereas Lucy was between the Earth and the moon, so it exhibits a perspective acquainted to Earth-based observers. The picture exhibits a roughly 600 mile (1000 km) extensive swath of lunar terrain, dominated by the traditional, lava-filled affect basin Mare Imbrium. The Apennine Mountains, a part of the Imbrium basin rim, which had been the touchdown website for the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, dominate the lower-right portion of the picture. Lucy was roughly 140,000 miles (230,000 km) from the moon when the picture was taken.

The picture, which is a single 1 millisecond publicity, has been sharpened. Every pixel represents roughly 0.7 miles (1.1 km).