NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a spacecraft circling and studying the Moon for 15 years, captured a “surfboard-shaped” object orbiting the celestial body. Expectedly, after making its way onto social media, the image sparked conversations about its mysteriousness. A few also compared the object with the surfboard carried by the fictional character Silver Surfer. Any guesses what the object really is? According to NASA, it is Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s Danuri lunar orbiter. LRO captured the image while zipping past Danuri in opposite directions.
Take a look at this image that has gone viral:
While describing the picture, NASA wrote, “At the first imaging opportunity, LRO was oriented down 43 degrees from its typical position of looking down at the lunar surface to capture Danuri (streaked across the middle) from 3 miles, or 5 kilometres, above it.”
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“Danuri has been in lunar orbit since December 2022. Although LRO’s camera exposure time was very short, only 0.338 milliseconds, Danuri still appears smeared to 10 times its size in the opposite direction of travel because of the relative high travel velocities between the two spacecraft,” NASA explained while talking about the brief encounter between the two spacecraft.
{{/usCountry}}“Danuri has been in lunar orbit since December 2022. Although LRO’s camera exposure time was very short, only 0.338 milliseconds, Danuri still appears smeared to 10 times its size in the opposite direction of travel because of the relative high travel velocities between the two spacecraft,” NASA explained while talking about the brief encounter between the two spacecraft.
{{/usCountry}}An X user also shared the viral image and the other pictures of Danuri captured by LRO. The post prompted people to share varied reactions.
How did X users react to this picture of the moon?
“Silver Surfer’s surfboard?” commented an X user.
“It's my portal. I was wondering where I left it,” joked another.
Also Read: NASA shares a rare image of the 'far side' of the Moon, netizens in awe of it. See pic
“When I saw it, I honestly thought it was a monolith appearing on the moon,” added a third.
“Aliens, what else? There is no way there can be any possible explanation for that pixel shift,” expressed a fourth.
“A surfboard?” wrote a fifth.
What are your thoughts on this viral image of the moon? Did the picture leave you stunned, too?