[Reading Science] "Danuri ShadowCam is living up to its name"

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"The ShadowCam (mounted on Danuri) is living up to its name."

South Korea's first lunar probe Danuri, in collaboration with NASA, is receiving high praise for its exploration of the Moon's permanently shadowed regions (PSR).

The 'ShadowCam' website, jointly operated by Arizona State University, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and NASA, posted on the 13th images taken by ShadowCam on February 28 of the Marvin crater near the lunar south pole. Marvin crater is a 4.6 km diameter depression located just 26 km from the Moon's south pole.

The lunar permanent shadow area 'Marvin Crater' captured by the Danuri ShadowCam. Photo by ShadowCam website.

ShadowCam, developed by NASA, vividly depicts the difference in sunlight shining on the outer and inner edges of Marvin crater with astonishing resolution. Although the inside of Marvin crater is a PSR area where sunlight does not reach, thanks to ShadowCam's excellent sensors, the interior illuminated by light reflected from nearby terrain can be clearly observed.

In response, the space-specialized media Space.com reported on the 22nd (local time), "NASA's lunar camera on the Korean probe has illuminated the dark lunar crater," praising that "ShadowCam is living up to its name." ShadowCam is based on the camera installed on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which the U.S. sent to the Moon in 2009, but it is 200 times more powerful. It can capture reflected light and convert it into images. It was jointly developed by NASA and Arizona State University.

Danuri ShadowCam captured the lunar permanent shadow region 'Marvin Crater'. Photo by ShadowCam website

The Arizona State University astronomy team operating ShadowCam previously released photos in February of Shackleton crater, a 20 km diameter crater near the lunar south pole. Those photos detailed the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon never seen before, showing, for example, the path of a 5-meter rock rolling down the steep crater slope.

Space.com introduced, "ShadowCam is mounted on KARI's Danuri probe, which entered orbit in December 2022, and is currently operating," adding, "It captures high-resolution images to find ice buried in PSRs, which will be a starting point for the lunar revolution, and will also assist in selecting the Artemis manned lunar landing site in 2025."

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