Categories
Space Exploration Astronomy Earth from Space Solar System

OSIRIS-REx Captures New Earth-Moon Image from 39.5 Million Miles

Earth and Moon from 39.5 million miles. OSIRIS-REx image captured on January 17, 2018
NASA's asteroid-sampling OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured a new Earth-Moon image on Jan. 17, 2018, from a distance of 39.5 million miles (63.6 million kilometers). Spacecraft used its NavCam1 imager to take this photo, as part of an engineering test. In the image, The Earth and the moon are just two bright dots against the vastness of black space - which reminds us Carl Sagan's famous speech: "That's here. That's home. That's us." The purpose of OSIRIS-REx spacecraft (acronym for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is to study, map and return samples for detailed analysis from asteroid 101955 Bennu, a carbon-rich hunk of rock that might contain organic materials or molecular precursors to life. It was launched on September 8, 2016, and expected return date is September 24, 2023. If successful, OSIRIS-REx will be the first NASA spacecraft to return samples from an asteroid. 101955 Bennu was discovered on September 11, 1999 by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project, a collaboration of the United States Air Force, NASA, and the MIT's Lincoln Laboratory for the systematic detection and tracking of near-Earth objects. It is It is a potential Earth impactor. It has a 1-in-2,700 chance of impacting Earth in the late 22nd century. With a mean diameter of approximately 492 meters (1,614 ft; 0.306 mi), it can wipe out our civilization if it impact our planet. This is a cropped and resized image. You can see the original image on NASA web site.

NASA’s asteroid-sampling OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured a new Earth-Moon image on Jan. 17, 2018, from a distance of 39.5 million miles (63.6 million kilometers). Spacecraft used its NavCam1 imager to take this photo, as part of an engineering test. In the image, The Earth and the moon are just two bright dots against the vastness of black space – which reminds us of Carl Sagan’s famous speech: “That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.”

New Earth-Moon Image by OSIRIS-REx

New Earth-Moon Image by OSIRIS-REx: Earth and Moon from 39.5 million miles. OSIRIS-REx image captured on January 17, 2018
New Earth-Moon Image by OSIRIS-REx: NASA’s asteroid-sampling OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured a new Earth-Moon image on Jan. 17, 2018, from a distance of 39.5 million miles (63.6 million kilometers). Spacecraft used its NavCam1 imager to take this photo, as part of an engineering test. In the image, The Earth and the moon are just two bright dots against the vastness of black space – which reminds us of Carl Sagan’s famous speech: “That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.”
The purpose of OSIRIS-REx spacecraft (the acronym for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is to study, map and return samples for detailed analysis from asteroid 101955 Bennu, a carbon-rich hunk of rock that might contain organic materials or molecular precursors to life. It was launched on September 8, 2016, and the expected return date is September 24, 2023. If successful, OSIRIS-REx will be the first NASA spacecraft to return samples from an asteroid.
101955 Bennu was discovered on September 11, 1999, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project, a collaboration of the United States Air Force, NASA, and MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory for the systematic detection and tracking of near-Earth objects. It is a potential Earth impactor. It has a 1-in-2,700 chance of impacting Earth in the late 22nd century. With a mean diameter of approximately 492 meters (1,614 ft; 0.306 mi), it can wipe out our civilization if it impacts our planet.
This is a cropped and resized image. You can see the original image on the NASA website.
An artist's conception of the primary mirror of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)

Related: Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will scan the skies for asteroids which threaten Earth

When the camera acquired the image, the spacecraft was moving away from home at a speed of 19,000 miles per hour (8.5 kilometers per second).

Earth is the largest, brightest spot in the center of the image, with the smaller, dimmer Moon appearing to the right. Several constellations are also visible in the surrounding space. The bright cluster of stars in the upper left corner is the Pleiades in the Taurus constellation. Hamal, the brightest star in Aries, is located in the upper right corner of the image. The Earth-Moon system is centered in the middle of five stars comprising the head of Cetus the Whale.

NavCam1, a grayscale imager, is part of the TAGCAMS (Touch-And-Go Camera System) navigation camera suite. Malin Space Science Systems designed, built, and tested TAGCAMS; Lockheed Martin integrated TAGCAMS to the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and operates TAGCAMS.

Previously, OSIRIS-REx acquired another amazing Earth-Moon image on October 2, 2017.

Osiris-REx mission

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descending towards asteroid Bennu

Related: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Successfully Touches Asteroid Bennu

If you like rocket launch videos like me, here’s the liftoff of OSIRIS-REx on September 8, 2016. An Atlas V rocket lifts off at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41.

The mission is to send NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. This will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study.

An Atlas V rocket lifts off at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. The mission is to send NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. This will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study.

Here is a NASA video about OSIRIS-REx mission, prepared before it was launched.

The OSIRIS-REx mission, launching in September 2016, plans to return a sample of asteroid Bennu to Earth in 2023 so that scientists can study pristine material left over from the early solar system. Dante Lauretta, Principal Investigator for OSIRIS-REx, provides an overview of this asteroid sample return mission.

A video explaining OSIRIS-REx’ Earth slingshot maneuver. The probe needed the gravity assist of Earth to get to asteroid Bennu.

NASA OSIRIS-REx mission’s deputy program scientist Dr. Christin Richey talks to Space.com’s Doris Elin Salazar about the mission and the gravity assist the probe needs to get to asteroid Bennu.

Sources

  • “NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Captures New Earth-Moon Image” on NASA.gov
M. Özgür Nevres
Latest posts by M. Özgür Nevres (see all)
Özgür Nevres

By M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer and a science enthusiast. I was graduated from the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Computer Engineering. In the past, I worked at the Istanbul Technical University Science Center as a science instructor. I write about the planet Earth and science on this website, ourplnt.com. I am also an animal lover! I take care of stray cats & dogs. This website's all income goes directly to our furry friends. Please consider supporting me on Patreon, so I can help more animals!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.