Friday, June 05, 2009

Stunning Japanese Moon imagery

Low-altitude video of lunar surface (in HD) (Pink Tentacle)

In its final days before crashing into the surface of the moon on June 11, Japan's KAGUYA explorer has been shooting high-definition footage of the lunar terrain from low altitude.


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The KAGUYA probe will end its scientific exploration of the moon with a controlled impact on the lunar surface. The crash, scheduled for 3:30 AM (Japan standard time) on June 11, 2009 (6:30 PM GMT on June 10, 2009), will occur in the shadow on the near side of the moon, at 63 degrees south latitude and 80 degrees east longitude.


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7 comments:

Mike Clelland! said...

So COOL!

fengleton said...

One would have thought the first area they'd have shot was the location of the Apollo landing sites. Or have they and we're not allowed to see them(for "obvious" reasons?)

fengleton said...

On another note. I don't find the footage at all stunning. Looks like computer animation to me. Very dubious and not at all convincing.

Mac said...

@fengleton

I don't find the footage at all stunning. Looks like computer animation to me. Very dubious and not at all convincing.

Do you see the irony in not appreciating genuine images of the lunar surface because they too closely resemble CGI approximations?

Anonymous said...

You have to admit, its pretty eerie that the imagery here looks so plastic and CGI (even if its not).

I think its the lighting more than anything. The overexposed surface really flattens things out in an unnatural way.

Would have loved to see a landing site from Apollo though.

-Denny

Term paper said...

Nothing left to be explore. Day by day we are getting real footage and results about upper space.

Term papers said...

Another great article. I like that you are very honest and direct to the point.