TLG
02-05-2019, 09:16 PM
A Chinese satellite currently in lunar orbit snapped this incredible image of the far side of the Moon, with a tiny Earth hanging out in the background. Captured on February 3rd, the picture offers a rare perspective of the Earth and Moon system together.
The image was taken by China’s Longjiang-2 satellite, which entered the Moon’s orbit in June 2018. This tiny probe was launched into space along with China’s Queqiao satellite, a communications probe that’s been critical for the country’s recent Chang’e-4 lunar lander. At the beginning of the year, Chang’e-4 successfully touched down on the far side of the Moon — the side that’s always facing away from Earth. Queqiao is located in a stable position near the Moon, where it relays radio signals from Longjiang-2 and the Chang’e-4 lander to Earth
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pigqDyIDDaClZ0viOkIW_FeMsNk=/0x0:640x480/1820x1213/filters:focal(324x147:426x249):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62998324/feb4_fixed.0.jpg
Longjiang-2 actually had a companion satellite, Longjiang-1, and both were tasked with orbiting and observing the Moon. But China ultimately lost contact with Longjiang-1 en route. Luckily, Longjiang-2 was a success, and it took some stunning pictures last fall.
During the Chang’e-4 landing, the satellite was silent so that it wouldn’t interfere with communications between the Earth and the lander. But Longjiang-2 is active again. The probe started taking a time-lapse of the Earth-Moon system on February 3rd, and the first photo of that sequence was downloaded by the Dwingeloo Radio Observatory in the Netherlands yesterday.
This is the first time that Longjiang-2 has captured the entire Moon and Earth in one shot. Now that it’s taking pics again, hopefully there are even more stunning images to come.
The image was taken by China’s Longjiang-2 satellite, which entered the Moon’s orbit in June 2018. This tiny probe was launched into space along with China’s Queqiao satellite, a communications probe that’s been critical for the country’s recent Chang’e-4 lunar lander. At the beginning of the year, Chang’e-4 successfully touched down on the far side of the Moon — the side that’s always facing away from Earth. Queqiao is located in a stable position near the Moon, where it relays radio signals from Longjiang-2 and the Chang’e-4 lander to Earth
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pigqDyIDDaClZ0viOkIW_FeMsNk=/0x0:640x480/1820x1213/filters:focal(324x147:426x249):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62998324/feb4_fixed.0.jpg
Longjiang-2 actually had a companion satellite, Longjiang-1, and both were tasked with orbiting and observing the Moon. But China ultimately lost contact with Longjiang-1 en route. Luckily, Longjiang-2 was a success, and it took some stunning pictures last fall.
During the Chang’e-4 landing, the satellite was silent so that it wouldn’t interfere with communications between the Earth and the lander. But Longjiang-2 is active again. The probe started taking a time-lapse of the Earth-Moon system on February 3rd, and the first photo of that sequence was downloaded by the Dwingeloo Radio Observatory in the Netherlands yesterday.
This is the first time that Longjiang-2 has captured the entire Moon and Earth in one shot. Now that it’s taking pics again, hopefully there are even more stunning images to come.