Images: NASA’s Lucy spacecraft provides new views of the moon

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured this image of the Moon’s surface on October 16, 2022, about 6.5 hours after it flew by Earth for the first of three gravity passes. The image was taken while Lucy was between Earth and the Moon, about 160,000 miles (260,000 km) from the moon, so it shows a perspective familiar to Earth-based observers. The image is an 800 mile (1200 km) wide spot near the center of the last quarter moon. Many known craters are visible, including the relatively fresh Arzachel crater just left of center. The prominent fault called the Straight Wall is visible cutting through the lava plains in the lower left of center.

The image, which is created by combining ten separate 2 millisecond exposures of the same scene to maximize image quality, has become sharper. Each pixel represents approximately 0.8 miles (1.3 km).

This image was taken with L’LORRI (Lucy LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager), Lucy’s high-resolution grayscale imaging system. L’LORRI was provided and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Mosaic exterminator

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured this mosaic of the Moon’s surface on October 16, 2022, between 7.5 and 8 hours after it flew by Earth for the first of three gravity passes. On its closest approach, the flyby brought the spacecraft within 224 miles (360 km) of Earth, passing below the altitude of the International Space Station. Lucy was on average about 140,000 miles (230,000 km) from the moon when these images were taken.

The mosaic was taken while Lucy was between Earth and the Moon, so it shows a perspective familiar to Earth observers, centered near the last-quarter moon terminator. The view includes the rugged, heavily cratered Southern Highlands near the bottom of the mosaic and the ancient, lava-filled Mare Imbrium impact basin near the top. The bright, fresh crater Copernicus is visible near the left edge of the mosaic.

This mosaic, which is made of 5 separate 1 millisecond exposures, has been sharpened. Note that the image covering the upper part of the moon’s edge was taken earlier, resulting in a slight mismatch in the images there. Each pixel represents approximately 0.7 miles (1.2 km).

Mare Imbrium single frame

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured this image of the Moon’s surface on October 16, 2022, about 8 hours after it flew by Earth for the first of three gravity passes. The image was taken while Lucy was between Earth and the Moon, so it shows a perspective familiar to Earth-based observers. The image shows a roughly 600-mile (1000 km) expanse of lunar terrain dominated by the ancient, lava-filled Mare Imbrium impact basin. The Apennine Mountains, part of the Imbrian Basin rim that was the landing site for the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, dominate the lower right of the image. Lucy was about 140,000 miles (230,000 km) from the moon when the photo was taken.

The image, which is a single 1 millisecond exposure, has become sharper. Each pixel represents approximately 0.7 miles (1.1 km).

---

---