This incredible image revealing the Moons shadow on Earths surface area was acquired during a 20-second duration starting at 2:59 p.m. EDT (18:59:19 UTC) on April 8, 2024, by NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. When LRO got this image, the shadow of the Moon was focused near Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State UniversityNASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter caught a striking picture of the Earth throughout the April 8 solar eclipse from its position 223,000 miles away, showcasing the innovative imaging capabilities of its camera suite.As the Moon blotted out the Sun to viewers across the United States during the April 8 solar eclipse, NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) recorded an image from some 223,000 miles away of the highly anticipated celestial event.There are three electronic cameras that comprise the LRO cam (LROC) suite: 2 Narrow Angle Cameras (NAC) and one Wide Angle Camera. The Earths image with the shadow in it was acquired by among the two Narrow Angle Cameras.When LROC obtained this image on April 8, 2024, the shadow of the Moon was centered near Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State UniversityThe LROC Narrow Angle Cameras are line scanner video cameras: they just have one line of pixels, and images are developed line-by-line by the spacecrafts movement as it orbits the Moon.Acquiring an image of Earth needs the spacecraft to quickly rotate to construct up the image.Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is handled by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Released on June 18, 2009, LRO has gathered a treasure chest of data with its 7 effective instruments, making an indispensable contribution to our knowledge about the Moon. NASA is going back to the Moon with industrial and international partners to expand human presence in area and restore new understanding and opportunities.
