Close images of the moon successfully captured
by a HDTV camera from the lunar orbiter “Kaguya”

  NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have successfully captured lower-altitude images of the moon using a Hi-Vision (HDTV) camera installed on the lunar orbiter “Kaguya (SELENE)”. The images have been posted on the JAXA homepage.

  Kaguya was launched by JAXA on September 14, 2007, to gather scientific data that would help to clarify the origins and evolution of the moon. It began full-scale operations in December of the same year. Kaguya is equipped with two types of HDTV camera developed by NHK: a telephoto-lens camera to capture large images of the Earth, and a wide angle lens camera to capture broad images of the moon’s surface. While orbiting at about 100km above the moon’s surface, Kaguya has continued to make various scientific observations while capturing images with these HDTV cameras. Already, it has sent many beautiful images that had never before been seen by mankind, including “Full earth-rise from the moon”, “Earth during a penumbral lunar eclipse”, etc.
  On June 11, 2009, Kaguya is scheduled to be dropped onto the surface of the moon as observations completed. From February 1, 2009, it reduced its altitude to about 50km, and since April it has been operating at extremely low altitudes of between 10 and 30 km at the closest to the moon surface.
The recently published images were taken by Kaguya’s HDTV camera from this unprecedented orbital position. Because Kaguya is so close to the surface, the images are extremely clear and realistic, showing close-ups of craters and other aspects of the moon’s rough terrain.

JAXA homepage: “Digital Archives”

(Search by: Subject: Observation images; Category: Moon and Planet Exploration; Mission: Moon)

■Published lower-altitude images

Image of “Full earth-rise from the moon” taken with a HDTV camera (telephoto)

Consecutive images of “Full earth-rise from the moon”
taken with a HDTV camera (telephoto)

Image of Earth during a penumbral eclipse taken with a HDTV camera (telephoto)

Consecutive images of Earth during a penumbral eclipse taken with a HDTV camera (telephoto)

Lower altitude image taken with a HDTV camera (wide-angle)
from approx 11km above the moon’s surface