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China's lunar orbiter captures Earth's images during solar eclipse

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by AG4YX, Jul 6, 2019.

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  1. AG4YX

    AG4YX Ham Member QRZ Page

    " The team cooperated with amateur radio operators in Spain and Germany in taking and receiving the photos."

    http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/04/c_138198855.htm

    China's lunar orbiter captures Earth's images during solar eclipse

    BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- With the mesmerizing images of the recent total solar eclipse in South America still fresh in memory, have you imagined what Earth would look like during the solar eclipse if you were on the moon?

    A microsatellite developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which is now orbiting the moon, took photos of Earth during the solar eclipse in the early hours of Wednesday (Beijing time).

    The microsatellite, weighing 47 kg and named Longjiang-2, was sent into space on May 21, 2018, together with the Chang'e-4 lunar probe's relay satellite "Queqiao," and entered lunar orbit four days later.

    The microsatellite carries a mini CMOS camera that only weighs 20 grams, which makes it easy to operate, and it can take pictures at short intervals, according to the research team from the Harbin Institute of Technology.

    Since the camera uses an automatic exposure mode, the camera's field of vision must contain a certain area of the moon to realize correct exposure. When the recent total solar eclipse occurred, the orbiter was flying over the far side of the moon. In the few minutes before and after the moon blocked the earth, all the conditions were right to take the pictures, the team explained.

    The team cooperated with amateur radio operators in Spain and Germany in taking and receiving the photos. Four pictures taken by the microsatellite during the solar eclipse were sent back to Earth on Wednesday.

    In those photos, people can see the shadow of the moon falling on the earth. For observers on Earth, those in the darkest area at the core of the shadow could see a total solar eclipse, while those in the grey area could see a partial solar eclipse.

    The team and the amateurs taking part in the shooting and receiving of the images were enthusiastic about the fascinating pictures. But to their regret, the mission of Longjiang-2 will come to a close at the end of July.

    In order to avoid becoming space rubbish, the microsatellite will be controlled to crash into the moon after it stops operation at the end of July, according to the team.
     
    VK3GOR, AC7DD, AG5DB and 2 others like this.
  2. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Really cool. Congrats to all on that successful effort!

    I used fractal deconvolution on the image and restored to true color (below). The Earth is NOT purple from space;-)....

    earthineclipsejune19.jpg
     
    VK3GOR, I3MKH, WQ4G and 12 others like this.
  3. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Note that with the increasing recovery of resolution, the 'stitching' on the photo becomes evidence. Frankly, I think that given the equipment and image transmission and recovery, they did an amazing job!
     
    VK3GOR likes this.
  4. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Here's the original BY2HIT image BTW....again, I am amazed by the quality from this microsat!


    [​IMG]
     
    VK3GOR, WQ4G, WJ2L and 4 others like this.
  5. KI6PMD

    KI6PMD Ham Member QRZ Page

    Nice to see Earth ! I wonder when they will be getting seismic data from the lander ? 73' Phil KI6PMD..
     
    W1YW likes this.
  6. KO5V

    KO5V XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    That is very cool!

    It just doesn't seem like it's been 50 years since I was sitting on the floor of my grandparents' den, watching the Apollo 11 landing on their big B&W TV.
     
    WQ4G, K5CQA, K6CLS and 1 other person like this.
  7. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    DREAM--in color :)

    What's black and gold and COOL all over?? ;-)

    (W1YW restoration)
    apollolander.JPG
     
    WQ4G, WJ2L, LU8DPM and 1 other person like this.
  8. K8AI

    K8AI Ham Member QRZ Page

    It's a fake picture because you don't see stars in the background :p
     
    W5VL, KJ7GIT, KQ9J and 3 others like this.
  9. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Yeh...back lot of Universal!

    ;-)
     
    KJ7GIT and KG5ZSU like this.
  10. N1OOQ

    N1OOQ Ham Member QRZ Page

    Honestly, I'm a little afraid to click any link to a Chinese website...:eek:
     
    AA8GK, KJ7GIT, KX0Z and 1 other person like this.
  11. W8AAZ

    W8AAZ Ham Member QRZ Page

    Yea, that's it, the moon landing was filmed in a Walmart parking lot in Alabama! Nixon paid the Russians 50 billion dollars to keep their mouths shut when they tracked the signals back to there. The actual first man on the moon was that Chinese guy, hundreds of years ago, that strapped rockets to a chair. But they don't want you to know that.:rolleyes:
     
    WQ4G, WA8FOZ, KG5ZSU and 2 others like this.
  12. K4DL

    K4DL XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Just like daylight sky is fake because you cannot see stars in the background.
     
    K6MFW and KK4NAW like this.
  13. W6UXB

    W6UXB Ham Member QRZ Page

    Feeling a little 'shaky' Phil? Just like Man City will be next season! cheers Geoff
     
  14. K8XG

    K8XG XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    That is daylight on the moon based on the light on the lander; not night time when you could see stars...

    We do not have a "black sky" in the Daylight because of something called Atmosphere...
     
  15. KW0U

    KW0U Ham Member QRZ Page

    All kidding aside, WOW. In Chinese I'll say "amazing": 惊人
     

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