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Figure 1: Blue-green Wavelength> | Figure 2: Red Wavelength | |
This crescent view of Earth's Moon in infrared, blue-green, and red
wavelengths comes from a camera test by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
spacecraft on its way to Mars. The mission's High Resolution Imaging
Science Experiment camera took the image on Sept. 8, 2005, while at a
distance of about 10 million kilometers (6 million miles) from the Moon.
The dark feature on the right is Mare Crisium. From that distance, the
Moon would appear as a star-like point of light to the unaided eye. The
three images of the Moon in different colors all look similar because the
Moon has an overall grey color, but further processing will reveal the
subtle color variations. The test verified the camera's focusing capability
and provided an opportunity for calibration. The spacecraft's Context
Camera and Optical Navigation Camera also performed as expected during
the test.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched on Aug. 12, 2005, is on course
to reach Mars on March 10, 2006. After gradually adjusting the shape of
its orbit for half a year, it will begin its primary science phase in
November 2006. From the mission's planned science orbit about 300
kilometers (186 miles) above the surface of Mars, the high resolution
camera will be able to discern features as small as one meter or yard
across.