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

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn

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

Can you tell me what you think a high definition image of the Earth and Moon from space should look like?

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn
I am seeing a line of green color to the right of the 'moon' where the shadow is depicted. I have never known of green shadows....

a reply to: Bloodydagger

Is this another rock thread? Kidding! Does look like a rock laying a picture of earth...its so surreal...and one hell of a long selfie stick. Great pic and thread mate.

a reply to: Bloodydagger

I just watched the animation from the link, pretty cool, but it doesnt look right

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.

Shouldnt the moon be turning right, as it goes around the earth? But it looks like a still image of the moon, as that black spot in the top left corner, doesnt seems to move at all, can someone with better understanding of how this works, please explain this??

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn
Is it a photo?
Is it a painting?
Is it a photo of a painting?

originally posted by: occrest
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn
I am seeing a line of green color to the right of the 'moon' where the shadow is depicted. I have never known of green shadows....

That's because each frame of this time-lapse is made up of an image consisting of thre channels -- Red, blue, and green. There is a slight delay between each channel's data being captured, with the green being the final channel. So when the three channels are put together (to colorize the image) to make each frame, the slightly offset green can be seen in the shadow.

"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."

www.nasa.gov...

Looks very dull, not at all like the bright Moon I view, even during the day.

a reply to: Bloodydagger

I am not a meteorologist, but shouldn't the clouds in the animation move a bit if it is time lapse, I picked several random clouds I could see and watch over the course of the animation and they don't seem to move at all.

a reply to: highfromphoenix

LOL. I was waving.

I was mooning.

originally posted by: NoFearsEqualsFreeMan
a reply to: Bloodydagger

I just watched the animation from the link, pretty cool, but it doesnt look right

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.

Shouldnt the moon be turning right, as it goes around the earth? But it looks like a still image of the moon, as that black spot in the top left corner, doesnt seems to move at all, can someone with better understanding of how this works, please explain this??

This time-lapse only cover less than 5 hours of time. The Moon takes about 28 days to rotate once on its axis and revolve once around the Earth. So you aren't seeing enough the Moon long enough in this time-lapse to notice the rotation.

originally posted by: NoFearsEqualsFreeMan
a reply to: Bloodydagger

I just watched the animation from the link, pretty cool, but it doesnt look right

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.

Shouldnt the moon be turning right, as it goes around the earth? But it looks like a still image of the moon, as that black spot in the top left corner, doesnt seems to move at all, can someone with better understanding of how this works, please explain this??

Yeah, and why do the clouds not change shape or appear to move at all?
This took place over a few hours, we should see something…

And why is the earth depicted as round? I thought it had been recently proven on ATS that it is flat?

Good try NASA

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

Somebody is lying!!

you beat me to the post.
(although it would be extremely difficult to see the oblong shape with the naked eye or a lens.. but still)
but on the upside NASA is getting better at texturing, spherical mapping the UV distortions were too obvious to the trained eyes.


but I mean no one in their right mind is buying this... right?

this feels like a 'set-up' for a not too distant future 'discovery' or claim.

If anyone is interested in the camera they use on DSCOVR here you go....

www.nesdis.noaa.gov...

There is obvious change in the clouds if you look at the stills comprising the entire sequence:



NASA's deep impact probe in 2008 took a similar sequence - as shown on here:

earthobservatory.nasa.gov...

a reply to: FinalCountdown

Yeah, and why do the clouds not change shape or appear to move at all?
This took place over a few hours, we should see something…

It was less than two minutes...from the OP.

"Combining three images taken about 30 seconds apart

So how much are the clouds supposed to move in those 90 seconds?

if you look at the GIF animation, you can see a grey'ish spot that stays at the center of the earth object.
could be a rendering artifact. ( I was a TD for many years )

I could also be very wrong.
and this could be a genuine image , albeit first of its kind even though we went to the moon some 5 times and recently got clear images of Pluto and landed successfully on a comet.
I guess thi s is EPIC.

a reply to: odzeandennz

That's the subsolar point - the part of the Earth directly under the sun.

I compiled half a dozen screenshots from stellarium for the same time period, based on a viewing position from the sun:

originally posted by: onebigmonkey
a reply to: odzeandennz

That's the subsolar point - the part of the Earth directly under the sun.

got it. thx.

should this subsolar point be also visible in other earth images taken from space or are there special conditions required.

though I deal with digital imaging and engineering, I'm very ill-informed in astronomy.
(so please don't mistake my skepticism for ignorance )

It's a very cool photo, but it does have a surreal look about it. The moon looks more like a disc. Giant Mother Ship! Just kidding.

Stupid question, but if it's fully lit on this far side or 'dark side', why is it not as bright as the side we usually see fully lit?

I suppose I wasn't expecting it to look brownish in colour. I thought it was more Gray.