Earth Gravity Assist Images
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January 3, 2009 6:38 UT | January 14, 2009 0259 UT (January 13 6:59 p.m. PST) | |
Left: One of 20 one-minute CCD images taken on Jan. 03, 2009 at 6:38 UT of the SD-NExT spacecraft during Earth Gravity Assist flyby. Images were centered on the spacecraft, resulting in the streaked appearance of the background field stars. + Enlarge image |
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January 12, 2009 | January 12, 2009 | |
Navigation camera images of the Moon were obtained on January 12 by Stardust-NExT as it performed a test of the periscope. The periscope will be used to view comet Tempel 1, in the direction of the spacecraft relative velocity vector, as the spacecraft approaches the comet February 2011. + Enlarge image | The Moon was imaged when viewed both through the periscope and off the periscope. Image quality was good in both cases indicating that the periscope was not damaged during its last use 5 years ago at the close flyby of comet Wild 2. These Moon images were obtained from a distance of about 1.1 million km (~650,000 miles) at a solar phase angle of 140°. The S/C was centered above 127° east longitude for these images, and the lit visible crescent spans from about 37 to 77 east longitude on the Moon including Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis and the bright Crater Stevinus. + Enlarge image |