Take a Look at Lunar Surface in High-Precision Images

Japan's lunar orbiter "Kaguya" launched 9 years ago has brought home over 600 including high-precision shots taken by NHK's high-vision camera. The whole package will be released for public viewing over the Internet.

The orbiter was launched 9 years ago on September 14 and circled the moon over 2 years, meanwhile succeeding for the first time in the world in collecting three-dimensional geographical data of the entire lunar surface.

Kaguya photographed minute geographical landforms like craters in high-presicion images with NHK's high-vision camera.

These high-precision image data are being put to analytical use at JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) mainly for research purposes and a part or two have been made public - like the one of the earth rising off the lunar horizon. Now, JAXA will make public the entire collection of 635 lunar images via the Internet.
（https://darts.isas.jaxa.jp/planet/project/selene/hdtv/）

The images run for a minute each and will be available over the Internet starting September 21. Meant primarily for researchers and school teachers, the images are viewable for the public as well either by selecting desired images out of an at-a-glance chart or by simply clickinging on desired section of the lunar surface.

Hisashi Otake, data analyser of JAXA, comments:

"You can clearly see the portion of the lunar surface that looks like a rabbit, craters and the marks of lava flowing ove the surface, etc.

"I can assure you that it's like a low-altitude flight over the lunar surface.

"Every image is original and the whole set should prove most valuable teaching tools for young people who might themselves board their own ships to the moon in 20 to 30 years from now."

I've heard so much about of NHK's high-vision camera. Let's see how it grapses the moon in notorious high-precision images. (Nathan Shiga)