A private lunar lander has captured the first high-definition images of a sunset on the moon, providing breathtaking visuals before shutting down.
Firefly Aerospace and NASA released the images on Tuesday, showcasing the lunar sunset and, in one frame, the distant glow of Venus. The photos were taken shortly before the Blue Ghost lander lost power over the weekend due to a lack of solar energy.
The Blue Ghost touched down on the moon on March 2, becoming the first private spacecraft to land upright and complete its entire mission. It continued collecting scientific data and taking images for five hours into the lunar night before falling silent.
NASA’s Joel Kearns described the sunset images as the firs
t high-resolution photographs of the phenomenon from the moon. Scientists will now analyze the photos, particularly one that appears to capture a horizon glow, possibly caused by levitating lunar dust—a theory proposed more than 50 years ago by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon.
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“What we have is a truly beautiful, artistic image that also presents some intriguing scientific features,” Kearns said during a news conference.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, Blue Ghost carried 10 experiments to the lunar surface. While the mission was successful in achieving its objectives, an onboard drill intended to penetrate 10 feet (3 meters) into the lunar surface only managed to reach 3 feet (1 meter).
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Despite the loss of power, Firefly Aerospace plans to attempt a restart of the lander in early April, following the two-week-long lunar night. However, engineers remain uncertain whether it will be able to power back up after enduring the extreme cold.
Source: With input from agency