Best space probe "photographers" of the decade

[n2doc]

In Space Probe Photography, Size Matters -- We've been floored by the beauty of Hubble's images of the cosmos, we've been dazzled by ground-based observations, but what about the robotic probes that go where humans fear to tread?

A space probe is defined as an unmanned mission that escapes Earth's gravitational pull and it just so happens that many of these solar system explorers have some impressive camera equipment on board. It turns out that their photography skills are excellent too.

Let's take a look at some of the best robotic photographers that have given us unparalleled views of our solar system over the last 10 years...


Earth Rising -- Japan's SELenological and ENgineering Explorer "Kaguya" (SELENE) was intentionally crashed into the lunar surface on June 10, 2009 after a highly successful 20-month-long mission. Kaguya took some incredibly detailed imagery, but it will probably be best known for photographing the Earth rising above the lunar landscape.


A Sneak Peek -- In 2007, controllers for the New Horizons Pluto mission tried out the probe's camera to capture some unprecedented views of the Jovian system. New Horizons has another five years to go until its historic Pluto flyby, but if the images of Jupiter and volcanic moon Io are anything to go by, the photographs of the outermost reaches of the solar system will be nothing less than spectacular.


In Saturn's Shadow -- The plutonium powered Cassini-Huygens spacecraft began exploring Saturn and its moons in 2004 and it will continue to do so beyond 2010. As the probe's mission was extended through the Saturnian equinox -- when the gas giant's tilt lines its equator up with the sun -- it was re-named "Cassini Equinox" in 2008.

Image: Cassini passed into Saturn's shadow for 12 hours in January 2009. A dazzling show of previously unknown outer rings became obvious (NASA).

more:

http://news.discovery.com/space/best-space-probe-photographers-decade.html

[flying rabbit]

1. I love this stuff!

Gracias!

[Posteritatis]

2. You can see Earth at the 10:00 position in the Saturn picture. (nt)