Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

NASA’s sharp-shooting Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has successfully imaged China’s Chang’e-4 spacecraft on the floor of Von Kármán crater.

On January 3, 2019 the Chinese spacecraft landed on the Moon’s farside.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Four weeks later, on January 30, as LRO approached the (116 mile (186 kilometer) diameter crater from the east, it rolled 70° to the west to snap a spectacular view looking across the floor towards the west wall.

Because LRO was 205 miles (330 kilometers) to the east of the landing site, the Chang’e 4 lander is only about two pixels across (bright spot between the two arrows), and the small rover is not detectable.

Previously released image of Chang’e-4 lander taken by Yutu-2 rover.
Credit: CNSA/CLEP

The massive mountain range in the background is the west wall of Von Kármán crater, rising more than 9,850 feet (3,000 meters) above the crater’s floor.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s LROC imaging system is operated by Mark Robinson at Arizona State University in Tempe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To take a look at the imagery and the special zoomify image, go to:

http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1090

 

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
Credit: NASA/Goddard Science Visualization Studio (SVS)

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