Scientists showed another unique photo
Captures the Shackleton Crater on the Moon
The special ShadowCam apparatus constructed by American NASA scientists has sent an image to Earth that captures the far side of the Moon as mankind has never seen it before.
Don’t miss: Android phones are being attacked by a dangerous virus, security experts warn. How to defend yourself?
NASA has released a photo with stunning detail
The unique image, which was created by combining photos from two different cameras, captured a crater on the moon that has not seen the light of day for billions of years. The ancient point, known as Shackleton, is located in the mountainous region of the moon’s south pole, where only the highest ridges and peaks are illuminated by sunlight due to the moon’s tilt.
“The rest of the region is mostly in shadow, creating ‘cold traps’ where water or ice can potentially hide from the Sun… and from the prying eyes of astronomers,” writes Science Alert. It is an unexplored world that experts are desperate to learn more about, especially since it seems like a good place for water in the form of ice to exist.
In the dark center of Shackleton Crater, temperatures are extremely cold, around -173°C. If there was water vapor in the area from the ancient fall of the comet, it is now frozen, probably below the surface.
The Chinese government plans to send a miniature probe to the crater in 2026 to drill holes and look for evidence of water ice. Until then, NASA must rely on state-of-the-art “night vision” to peer into the eternal darkness.
The camera sees in total darkness
ShadowCam is carried aboard the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), also known as Danuri, built by the Korea Aeronautics and Space Research Institute (KARI). The satellite has been working at an average height of 100 kilometers above the surface of the moon since November last year.
The ShadowCam is more than 200 times more sensitive to light in the shadow regions of the Moon than other lunar cameras. It scans the dark surface by relying on “earthshine,” the reflection of light from our planet that illuminates the Moon. The camera also takes advantage of the reflection of sunlight from mountains and ridges. However, this sometimes results in overexposed photos.
NASA therefore combined the photo taken by ShadowCam with the image from the orbiting Danuri probe. Shackleton Crater, always shrouded in darkness, thanks to which we can see in detail like never before.
Preview photo source: NASA, source: Science Alert, The Space, NASA
2023-09-20 15:37:55
#Amazing #photo #side #moon #NASA #outwitted #darkness #illuminated #crater #hasnt #light #day #billions #years
