An image from Longjiang 2 of the solar eclipse that crossed over South The US on July 2, 2019.
(Image: © Harbin Institute of Know-how)
A microscopic Chinese language satellite tv for pc in lunar orbit captured unparalleled photos of a total solar eclipse over South The US final year, as a result of commands from radio followers.
The photos were taken July 2, 2019, with the microscopic ‘Inory gape‘ camera, put in on Longjiang 2, a microsatellite developed by a crew at Harbin Institute of Know-how (HIT) in northeast China.
Longjiang 2, in most cases identified as DSLWP-B, changed into as soon as launched with a twin in Would possibly perhaps also goal 2018. The two microscopic satellites piggybacked on the mission to open Queqiao, a communications relay satellite tv for pc that later facilitated the Chang’e 4 landing on the a long way side of the moon. The Longjiang program changed into as soon as designed to envision a roughly interferometry map for gargantuan observations.
Associated: The true photos of the 2019 total solar eclipse
More: What the 2019 total solar eclipse looked enjoy spherical the on-line
Whereas Queqiao persisted past the moon to fulfil its position, the little 99-lb. (45 kilograms) Longjiang 2 broken-down its have propulsion to decelerate and enter lunar orbit.
Right here, the microscopic satellite tv for pc bought commands, sent from college students at HIT through radio followers in Europe, instructing the spacecraft to image the moon, Earth and stars.
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An image from Longjiang 2 of the solar eclipse that crossed over South The US on July 2, 2019.
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An image from Longjiang 2 of the solar eclipse that crossed over South The US on July 2, 2019.
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An image from Longjiang 2 of the solar eclipse that crossed over South The US on July 2, 2019.
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An image from Longjiang 2 of the solar eclipse that crossed over South The US on July 2, 2019.
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An image from Longjiang 2 of the solar eclipse that crossed over South The US on July 2, 2019.
For the photos of the July 2019 eclipse, Reinhard Kühn, an newbie radio astronomer from Sörup, Germany, sent the commands timing the imaging of the eclipse the use of an antenna in his garden.
Longjiang 2 moreover carried a Saudi Arabia-constructed a long way away-sensing payload as fragment of the worldwide cooperations surrounding the Chang’e 4 mission. The microscopic satellite tv for pc moreover returned amazing photos of the Earth and moon.
A pair of of the photos taken to the moon by DSLWP-B the use of Saudi A long way-off Sensing Payload to the moon https://t.co/24rxnqFOjv pic.twitter.com/YDXZbHXD8NAugust 1, 2019
Longjiang 2 ended its mission in August 2019 when it changed into as soon as deliberately crashed into the moon to win any hazard to future lunar missions.
Earlier this month, the crew launched an engaging quick film detailing the broad returns from the microscopic satellite tv for pc.
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