|
Selene
Oct 15, 2007 21:26:12 GMT -4
Post by Ginnie on Oct 15, 2007 21:26:12 GMT -4
As the Japanese orbiter Selene gets closer to Moon Orbit, I'm wonderin' if any HB is getting nervous that it may spot something on the surface of the moon they isn't supposed to be there. Although it will settle into a 100 mile orbit, I'm curious as to its mapping and photographic capabilities. On the Selene website it doesn't really go iinto detail. Will it be capable of photographing the Apollo landing sites? This is one released photo as it approaches the moon from about 800 km out:
|
|
|
Selene
Oct 15, 2007 22:17:31 GMT -4
Post by Czero 101 on Oct 15, 2007 22:17:31 GMT -4
Selene's Terrain Camera (TC) fas a resolution of 10 meters/pixel at its proposed 100Km altitude. www.selene.jaxa.jp/en/equipment/tc_e.htmJust about everything left behind is well under 10 meters. The LM Decent Stage would only take up 1 pixel at that resolution. Cz
|
|
Bob B.
Bob the Excel Guru?
Posts: 3,072
|
Selene
Oct 15, 2007 22:52:25 GMT -4
Post by Bob B. on Oct 15, 2007 22:52:25 GMT -4
Will it be capable of photographing the Apollo landing sites? Sites, yes. Artifacts, no.
|
|
|
Selene
Oct 16, 2007 7:01:50 GMT -4
Post by gwiz on Oct 16, 2007 7:01:50 GMT -4
It will be interesting to see what it can pick out. A LM, maybe even a rover, might be a sufficiently high-contrast subject to show up as a single bright pixel. Disturbed soil should be large enough to see, but it depends how different it looks from the undisturbed stuff. The existing best images of the landing sites are on this page. Note that the LMs for the last three missions were photographed from orbit, showing as bright dots casting long shadows, and rover tracks appear to show up in the Apollo 17 picture.
|
|
|
Selene
Oct 16, 2007 10:14:01 GMT -4
Post by echnaton on Oct 16, 2007 10:14:01 GMT -4
The photos will be interesting to those that understand the Apollo program and find enjoyment in seeing the sites, even if the LM is just one pixel. They will be as unconvincing to hoax believers as they are cool to us. The discussion will continue.
|
|
|
Selene
Nov 1, 2007 21:33:52 GMT -4
Post by macapple on Nov 1, 2007 21:33:52 GMT -4
The sites should be clearly visible as the surrounding areas were agitated and should show up. There should be evidence of man made interaction. That is if they fly over the landing sites
|
|
|
Selene
Jan 6, 2010 16:48:55 GMT -4
Post by randombloke on Jan 6, 2010 16:48:55 GMT -4
Sorry to bump such an old topic, but I thought I'd just add this link, which was brought to my attention through the medium of YouTube no less: www.jaxa.jp/press/2008/05/20080520_kaguya_e.htmlIt's a press release showing a 3D rendering of the A15 site and locale and making some interesting comparisons with the photographs taken by the Apollo astronauts.
|
|
|
Selene
Jan 13, 2010 20:16:12 GMT -4
Post by PhantomWolf on Jan 13, 2010 20:16:12 GMT -4
They did one for the Apollo 17 site as well, I use both on my Lunar Probes page.
|
|