Tuesday, March 16, 2010

NASA releases 100,000 lunar images from ASU camera

NASA released the first 6 months worth of images from the ASU-run Lunar Orbiter Reconnaissance Camera (LROC) yesterday, totaling nearly 50 terabytes of data.  The data went to the Planetary Data System (PDS).

"LROC acquires high-resolution images of the lunar surface from any spot on the surface with resolutions down to 50-cm meter while LRO orbits at a speed of 3,600 mph (5,800 km/hr). The imaging system consists of two Narrow Angle Cameras (NACs) to provide high-resolution images, a Wide Angle Camera (WAC) to provide images in seven color bands over a 60-km swath, and a Sequence and Compressor System supporting data acquisition for all three cameras. For at least the next seven months, LROC will collect thousands of color, black-and-white and ultraviolet images of the lunar surface, obtaining high-resolution coverage of about seven percent of the Moon’s surface.
Visit the LROC webpage for detailed specifications: http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/"

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