By 
July 9th, 2016
Credit: NASA image courtesy of the DSCOVR EPIC team.
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) has snagged new and unique imagery of the Moon passing between the spacecraft and Earth.
DSCOVR is located at the Earth-Sun Lagrange-1 (L-1) point.
Onboard the spacecraft, NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) snapped the images over a period of about 4 hours on July 5th, 2016.
Backdrop Earth
Visible in photos is the far side of the Moon — never seen from Earth – as it passes by. In the backdrop, Earth rotates with Australia and the Pacific visible and some gradually revealing looks of Asia and Africa.
The DSCOVR spacecraft’s position gives EPIC a unique angular perspective that can be used in science applications to measure ozone, aerosols, cloud reflectivity, cloud height, vegetation properties, and UV radiation estimates at Earth’s surface.
Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR).
Credit: NOAA Satellites
Jupiter too!
On March 15, 2016, over a span of 5 hours, DSCOVR EPIC imaged Jupiter. This activity was done for purposes of instrument characterization, but also provides a unique view of our solar system’s largest planet and its moons.
Credit: NASA image courtesy of the DSCOVR EPIC team.
DSCOVR is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA and the U.S. Air Force.
NOAA is operating DSCOVR from its NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland, and is processing the space weather data at the Space Weather Prediction Center — part of NOAA’s National Weather Service — in Boulder, Colorado.
America’s first operational deep space satellite orbits one million miles from Earth. Positioned between the sun and Earth, it is able to maintain a constant view of the sun and sun-lit side of Earth. This location is called Lagrange point 1. (Illustration is not to scale).
Credit: NOAA
Warning system
Launched over one year ago, on February 11, 2015, DSCOVR — the nation’s first operational satellite in deep space — is now orbiting one million miles away and is America’s primary warning system for solar magnetic storms and solar wind data while giving Earth scientists a unique vantage point for studies of the planet’s atmosphere and climate.
Get a moving view of the Earth and Moon here:
http://epic.gsfc.nasa.gov/galleries/lunar_transit_2016/vid.php
For single frames, go to:
Posted in Space News
