EPOCh Observations: NASA EPOXI’s Spacecraft Observes the Earth-Moon System

As part of the EPOXI mission’s objectives to characterize the Earth as a planet for comparison with planets around other stars, the spacecraft looked back at Earth collecting a series of images.

In the left image the Earth-Moon system is seen with the Moon beginning its transit in front of Earth. It was taken on May 29, 2008 through three filters: blue, green and orange, centered at 450, 550 and 650 nm respectively, while the spacecraft was 0.33 AU (49,367,340 km and 30,675,43 miles) from Earth.

The image on the right is a simulation showing the view of Earth from the spacecraft’s perspective.

Technical Details: 29 May 2008 0640 UT

450 (blue), 550 (green) and 650 (orange) nm

Image was stretched to make the moon brighter and easier to see beside the brighter Earth.

Just for fun: What is the phase of the moon from the spacecraft’s perspective? From the Earth’s perspective?

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD/GSFC