NASA Camera Shows Moon Crossing Face of Earth (Epic Dark Side of Moon images)

Yes, apparently this is a real picture of our Moon and Earth.

EPIC maintains a constant view of the fully illuminated Earth as it rotates, providing scientific observations of ozone, vegetation, cloud height and aerosols in the atmosphere. Once EPIC begins regular observations next month, the camera will provide a series of Earth images allowing study of daily variations over the entire globe. About twice a year the camera will capture the moon and Earth together as the orbit of DSCOVR crosses the orbital plane of the moon.

These images were taken between 3:50 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. EDT on July 16, showing the moon moving over the Pacific Ocean near North America. The North Pole is in the upper left corner of the image, reflecting the orbital tilt of Earth from the vantage point of the spacecraft.

moon's far side overlapping the Earth
This image shows the far side of the moon, illuminated by the sun, as it crosses between the DSCOVR spacecraft's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) camera and telescope, and the Earth - one million miles away.
Credits: NASA/NOAA
The far side of the moon was not seen until 1959 when the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft returned the first images. Since then, several NASA missions have imaged the lunar far side in great detail. The same side of the moon always faces an earthbound observer because the moon is tidally locked to Earth. That means its orbital period is the same as its rotation around its axis.

"Combining three images taken about 30 seconds apart as the moon moves produces a slight but noticeable camera artifact on the right side of the moon. Because the moon has moved in relation to the Earth between the time the first (red) and last (green) exposures were made, a thin green offset appears on the right side of the moon when the three exposures are combined. This natural lunar movement also produces a slight red and blue offset on the left side of the moon in these unaltered images."

Source

I thought it was fake at first. It looks like a flat stone someone set on a photo of the Earth. Amazing nonetheless. Its certainly not something you see every day!

Thoughts?

a reply to: Bloodydagger

Amazing.

Thanks for the share.

a reply to: Bloodydagger

This is pretty cool, Think I am gona try and find more images.

Wow! epic image from EPIC. They even have an animation on the link you provided. Thank you Bloodydagger!

originally posted by: PersonneX
Wow! epic image from EPIC. They even have an animation on the link you provided. Thank you Bloodydagger!

Yeah, the animation in the link is amazing.

I saw me go by.

Pretty neat.

originally posted by: intrptr
I saw me go by.

Pretty neat.

LOL. I was waving.

a reply to: Bloodydagger

It looks so flat because the lens needed to zoom that tight from one million miles away would have a flattening effect to everything--it's actually a technique that can be used in order to make places look more crowded than they are, or make things appear close that are actually far away.

It's the opposite effect of a fish-eye lens, that makes everything seem super far away from each other and somewhat bulbous.

But honestly, I don't like the image exactly because of that reason...it looks like a poorly accomplished cut-and-paste project.

.... So THAT's what the backside of the moon looks like!? I was expecting something totally different!

originally posted by: japhrimu
.... So THAT's what the backside of the moon looks like!? I was expecting something totally different!

? "Moon people" ?

Pink Floyd comes to mind...
Kewl stuff !

originally posted by: DogMeat
Pink Floyd comes to mind...
Kewl stuff !

Ohhh.... isn't that "Dark Side of the Moon"?

Either way it's cool.

originally posted by: highfromphoenix

originally posted by: intrptr
I saw me go by.

Pretty neat.

LOL. I was waving.

D'oh!...My eyes were closed.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Bloodydagger

it looks like a poorly accomplished cut-and-paste project.

That is exactly what I thought I was looking at when I first saw this picture, lol

originally posted by: highfromphoenix

originally posted by: DogMeat
Pink Floyd comes to mind...
Kewl stuff !

Ohhh.... isn't that "Dark Side of the Moon"?

Either way it's cool.

Well, it's the "far side" of the moon (the side always facing away from Earth). But when these images were taken, it was fully lit by the Sun.

I thought the earth was an oblate, pear-shaped spheroid.


Somebody is lying!!

originally posted by: occrest

I thought the earth was an oblate, pear-shaped spheroid.

Somebody is lying!!

The Earth DOES bulge at the equator, but it is not really noticable to the eye. The average difference in the "width" of the Earth as opposed to the pole-to-pole "height" of the earth is about 45 km (28 miles).

So nobody is lying. It's just that you can't see the difference.

originally posted by: occrest
I thought the earth was an oblate, pear-shaped spheroid.

Somebody is lying!!

It surely doesn't help the already strained trust factor.

There is something off, about this picture. I am no pro, but it almost looks amateurish.

Combining three images taken about 30 seconds apart

between the time the first (red) and last (green) exposures were made

in these unaltered images.

am i missing something?

double up