KAGUYA (SELENE) Image Taking of "Full Earth-Rise" by HDTV (Forwarded)

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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
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Joint release:
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)

April 11, 2008

KAGUYA (SELENE) Image Taking of "Full Earth-Rise" by HDTV

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NHK (Japan
Broadcasting Corporation) successfully captured a movie of the "Full
Earth-Rise" [1] using the onboard High Definition Television (HDTV) of
the lunar explorer "KAGUYA" (SELENE) on April 6, 2008 (Japan Standard
Time, JST, all the following dates and time are JST.) The KAGUYA is
currently flying in the lunar observation orbit at an altitude of about
100 km.

An "Earth-rise," or the rising Earth over the Moon, was first captured
by the Apollo project. The Earth rising movie taken by the KAGUYA on
November 7, 2007, was not a full Earth-rise (i.e. not all of the globe
was seen in shining blue.) It missed some part. This time, a "full
Earth-rise" [1] was taken by the onboard HDTV in faraway space, some
380,000 km away from the Earth. This is the world's first successful
shooting of such a Full Earth-Rise. It was also very precious because
it was one of only two chances in a year for the KAGUYA to capture a
Full Earth-Rise when the orbits of the Moon, the Earth, the Sun and the
KAGUYA are all lined up.

The shooting was performed by the KAGUYA's onboard HDTV for space use,
which was developed by NHK. The movie data was received at JAXA, then
processed by NHK.

[1] The phenomenon expressed as a "Full Earth-Rise" can be seen from a
satellite that travels around the Moon such as the KAGUYA (SELENE) or
the Apollo manned spacecraft. The Earth is almost stationary when it is
observed from the Moon, thus a Full Earth-Rise coming out from the
horizon cannot be seen from the Moon.

Reference:

Table 1: List of images taken by the HDTV since December 25, 2008
Table 2: Major Characteristics of the HDTV
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2008/04/200...a_e.html#ref01

Mission website:

* SELenological and ENgineering Explorer "KAGUYA" (SELENE)
http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/selene/index_e.html
* KAGUYA (SELENE)
http://www.kaguya.jaxa.jp/en/index.htm

[NOTE: Images and movies are available at
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2008/04/20080411_kaguya_e.html ]