Latest Kaguya Lunar Image

[iceman (Mike)]

All I can say is

http://the-moon.wikispaces.com/LPOD

[coldspace]

Unbelievable,

This would be the view Neil and Buzz would have had when they came into land but they probally missed it concentrating too much

Matt.

[RB (Andrew)]

Stunning !

[Matty P (Matt)]

Absolutely amazing!

[OneOfOne (Trevor)]

I remember reading something about the capabilities of this little probe and they said that it will be able to image the lunar module on the surface. I guess it may take some time before the orbit passes over one of the landing sites at a low enough altitude.....but that would be truly unbelievable! Of course, it would all be pasted in with photoshop.... Wouldn't it?

[h0ughy (David)]

WOW.......puts a new perspective on things

[Ric]

What a sharp fantastic image.

[Moonboy (Gus)]

Did someone go to the moon, jumped, looked at the ground with their camera, and take a photo???

Gus

[Moonboy (Gus)]

I just had a great idea... They should make satellite's that orbit the moon..... have they done that yet???
Gus

[citivolus (Ric)]

Originally Posted by Moonboy

I just had a great idea... They should make satellite's that orbit the moon..... have they done that yet???
Gus

Notable lunar orbiters (excluding many other missions)

1966-1967 "Lunar Orbiter Program" http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/orbiter/orbiter.html
1994 "Clementine" http://www.cmf.nrl.navy.mil/clementine/
1998 "Lunar Prospector" http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/
2007-present "Kaguya/Selene" http://www.selene.jaxa.jp/index_e.htm

There have been several others, this just covers some of the more notable missions.

Lunar orbit is inherently unstable due to the shape of the Moon's gravitational field. There are a few stable orbits, but most of them degrade fairly rapidly preventing long duration missions.

Eric

[citivolus (Ric)]

Have a look in Kaguya's Terrain Camera gallery. Very impressive results there.