211109 - Waxing Crescent Moon w Earth-shine on dark side
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ASTRO: Planetary; Lunar:
distance=239 kmi; size=1,080 mi. IMAGE: exposure=DSLR OSC HDR composite: light side -30x(1/500)s, ISO320; dark side -10x(1/30)s, ISO3200 EQUIPMENT: camera=Nikon D90 (stk); optics=NIKKOR 70-300mm FX zoom @ 300mm; filter=(none); mount=simple tripod; guider=(none) SOFTWARE: acquisition=APT, processing=DSS, PhotoshopCC, LrC |
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The most widely accepted scientific explanation on its origin theorizes that our Moon formed appx 4.5 billion years ago, not long after Earth, out of the debris from a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body called Theia. Following that event most of the large impact basins and mare (singular - pronounced, "MAH-rey") surfaces were in place by some three billion years ago. Today the near side of the Moon is marked by dark volcanic maria (plural - "seas"), which fill the spaces between bright ancient crustal highlands and prominent impact craters.
In this image, the HDR technique was used to capture both the light and dark sides of the waxing crescent Moon. In order to bring-out detail, two (2) images captured with different exposure settings are blended together to produce the final image.
The first man-made object to reach the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 unmanned spacecraft in 1959. This was followed by the first successful soft landing by Luna 9 in 1966. The only successful human lunar missions to-date have been those of the United States' Apollo program, which landed twelve men on the surface between 1969 and 1972. Apollo 11 began that 'Moonwalk' series by landing in the edge of the 'Sea of Tranquility' on June 30, 1969. That occasion was marked by Astronaut Neil Armstrong's ladder descent and pronouncement of, "...one small step for Man, ...one huge leap for Mankind".
NASA is currently underway with the Artemis Mission to return manned spaceflight to the surface of the Moon...
- The first program unmanned test flight, "Artemis I" was launched on November 16, 2022. The flight was designed to test the new, powerful Space Launch System (or "SLS") rocket for delivery of the spacecraft "Orion" to orbit the Moon. Orion successfully completed that task and returned an empty space capsule to slash-down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11, 2022.
- "Artemis II" will be a 10-day mission, fully crewed and designed to test the life-sustaining systems and capabilities of the Orion spacecraft. Currently planned for April 2026, Orion will orbit the Moon and return its precious Astronaut cargo safely to Earth.
- Then sometime in mid 2027, "Artemis III" will send another crewed Orion craft, equipped with Lunar Lander, to land on the Moon surface. This will be humanity's first return to the Moon since the Apollo program more than 5 decades ago.
NASA's long-term goal for Artemis is to establish a permanently inhabited presence on the Moon, with next steps being to develop a fully functional space station and to begin preparations for further flights from there to Mars. There are also discussions ongoing concerning the viability of construction of a large Telescope. Since the Moon has no atmosphere, and hence no atmospheric interference, it serves as an ideal location for telescopes to further explore the cosmos. And, with a permanently manned space station located there with it, maintenance and operations of such an instrument(s) become a natural part of the mission statement.
For a look at a complete library of NASA public information YouTubes, click here.
In this image, the HDR technique was used to capture both the light and dark sides of the waxing crescent Moon. In order to bring-out detail, two (2) images captured with different exposure settings are blended together to produce the final image.
The first man-made object to reach the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 unmanned spacecraft in 1959. This was followed by the first successful soft landing by Luna 9 in 1966. The only successful human lunar missions to-date have been those of the United States' Apollo program, which landed twelve men on the surface between 1969 and 1972. Apollo 11 began that 'Moonwalk' series by landing in the edge of the 'Sea of Tranquility' on June 30, 1969. That occasion was marked by Astronaut Neil Armstrong's ladder descent and pronouncement of, "...one small step for Man, ...one huge leap for Mankind".
NASA is currently underway with the Artemis Mission to return manned spaceflight to the surface of the Moon...
- The first program unmanned test flight, "Artemis I" was launched on November 16, 2022. The flight was designed to test the new, powerful Space Launch System (or "SLS") rocket for delivery of the spacecraft "Orion" to orbit the Moon. Orion successfully completed that task and returned an empty space capsule to slash-down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11, 2022.
- "Artemis II" will be a 10-day mission, fully crewed and designed to test the life-sustaining systems and capabilities of the Orion spacecraft. Currently planned for April 2026, Orion will orbit the Moon and return its precious Astronaut cargo safely to Earth.
- Then sometime in mid 2027, "Artemis III" will send another crewed Orion craft, equipped with Lunar Lander, to land on the Moon surface. This will be humanity's first return to the Moon since the Apollo program more than 5 decades ago.
NASA's long-term goal for Artemis is to establish a permanently inhabited presence on the Moon, with next steps being to develop a fully functional space station and to begin preparations for further flights from there to Mars. There are also discussions ongoing concerning the viability of construction of a large Telescope. Since the Moon has no atmosphere, and hence no atmospheric interference, it serves as an ideal location for telescopes to further explore the cosmos. And, with a permanently manned space station located there with it, maintenance and operations of such an instrument(s) become a natural part of the mission statement.
For a look at a complete library of NASA public information YouTubes, click here.