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Northern area of the "Oceanus Procellarum"  (Source: JAXA)

Western side of the "Oceanus Procellarum"

West side of the "Oceanus Procellarum"
JAXA and NHK worked together to publish a video taken by SELENE

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Selenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) recorded a high-definition video of the moon's surface with a high-definition TV acquisition system designed by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) broadcasting station.

The recorded film includes two different portions -- the first sequence was shot over the Oceanus Procellarum, located on the western
side of the moon.  The second half of the video shows a portion north
of Oceanus Procellarum as SELENE drifted towards the North Pole.

The Oceanus Procellarum is a large, dark "ocean" plane located in the northern hemisphere on the front side of the moon if looking from Earth.  It stretches almost 2,500 kilometers on the left end of the northern hemisphere.

The captured images are the first ever lunar images taken from about 100 kilometers above the moon's surface.

According to JAXA, SELENE is in good form and will continue to carry
out other scheduled missions.  JAXA is the largest lunar mission since
the famed U.S. Apollo mission more than 40 years ago.

The China's Chang'e 1 lunar orbiter successfully joined SELENE in the moon's orbit with images and data from Chang'e 1 expected later this month.

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an example
By sj420 on 11/10/2007 1:27:20 PM , Rating: 1
This is just an example of technology.

If japan has this (and if the earth unites to get into space faster) we could create a "searcher" that could map planets very easily in high-definition for critical review. Finding planets is important, just because the ones in our nearest galaxy are dead doesn't mean that other planets beyond our own aren't out there kicking. Hell a new universe is forming new planets not too far off. One even looks to be a water planet. So who knows, this could end up being the pioneering technology that maps planets for terraforming later on. It could search for life via this mapping system. It could also map other things like asteroid fields for when we must pass through them, and other things that we might land on and mine for their precious rare minerials-materials-metals that aren't on earth.

Heh, even watch the space station in HD instead of that artifacted Crap like on nasatv.

Who knows, but it is nice to see progress on anything to do with space.




RE: an example
By FITCamaro on 11/10/2007 2:46:21 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
Hell a new universe is forming new planets not too far off.


Really? Mr. Data, please construct an inverse polarity magnetic containment system to contain this proto-universe before it starts expanding and breaking up our own.

I think you meant galaxy. And just because the number of light years is small, doesn't mean its close. The closest solar system to ours with current technology is over 100 years away.

I'm all for creating faster ships and what not, but we're a long ways away from being able to travel to the other planets in our solar system, much less another solar system. So unless the Vulcans show up, we're gonna be on this planet for a while.


RE: an example
By BladeVenom on 11/10/2007 3:42:06 PM , Rating: 5
But the Vulcans won't show up until after we have faster than light travel.


RE: an example
By LogicallyGenius on 11/10/07, Rating: -1
RE: an example
By LogicallyGenius on 11/11/07, Rating: -1
RE: an example
By SiliconAddict on 11/11/2007 3:59:52 AM , Rating: 5
You are a fucking idiot. And that isn't an insult its the damn truth. If you had any clue about science or anything relating to space you damn well would know that such a concept is beyond retarded.


RE: an example
By LogicallyGenius on 11/12/07, Rating: -1
RE: an example
By Spivonious on 11/12/2007 8:29:42 AM , Rating: 1
What exactly is a google-like image?


RE: an example
By LogicallyGenius on 11/12/07, Rating: -1
RE: an example
By Farfignewton on 11/10/2007 4:10:16 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
The closest solar system to ours with current technology is over 100 years away.


100 years? I came up with over 5300 years to travel 4 light years given a speed of 50,000 m.p.h. for the rocket, which as far as I know is our fastest means of travel for anything more than an electromagnetic signal. And that's a straight line.

Technically 5300 years IS over 100 as you said, but at that point you've gone beyond understatement to euphemism . ;)


RE: an example
By masher2 (blog) on 11/11/2007 2:05:25 PM , Rating: 2
> "given a speed of 50,000 m.p.h. for the rocket, which as far as I know is our fastest means of travel "

It'd be hard to get much above that with chemical-based propulsion. But since the 1960s, we've had the means to build pulsed-fission rockets, which would allow a trip to Alpha Centauri in a couple centuries. Using the "near-future" technology of inertial fusion, a rocket could make the trip in 50 years or less...see "Project Daedalus" for details.


RE: an example
By ChristopherO on 11/12/2007 2:01:53 AM , Rating: 3
What blows my mind is that Voyager 1 is about 104.5 AU distant from the sun. Eris' aphelion is 97.5 AU. That makes Voyager the only man-made object to push further into space than the largest known dwarf planet. And Voyager was launched in 1977. 30 years of progress and it still hasn't found the gate leading out of the solar system's yard.

I'm amazed we've accomplished so much, but am quite unhappy that the glory days seem to be meaningless for the average person.

I just turned 30, and I hope that I get to see man set foot on Mars before my own demise. It's rather pathetic that our parents saw our push into the heavens, and here we are, misplacing our keys and forgetting how to get to the moon.

Sure President Bush set lofty goals (revisiting the moon, and eventually Mars), but the one universal constant is that Congress loves shaving the NASA budget (not to mention the American public did their best impression of crickets at the suggestion of a lofty new purpose). With the way things are going, by the time I'm 60, they'll be lucky if they can afford a trebuchet to shoot boulders into the Atlantic.

It would be nice if we had a common goal instead of getting mired in the "left versus right" that has become all of modern governance.

Suddenly I have an urge to watch The Right Stuff and Apollo 13.


RE: an example
By wordsworm on 11/12/2007 6:52:41 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
given a speed of 50,000 m.p.h. for the rocket

Due to the gravitation effect of the Sun, our best rockets (I refer to Russia's Engeria of course) would only make it to Jupiter. It can pick up momentum from the planets. Speaking of which, it sure is a shame that to get a really good slingshot from the sun would incinerate the rocket. Unfortunately, to do all this takes years to accomplish - and perfect timing.

It's my opinion, though, that we still haven't come to terms with our fastest 'particle' (I use that term loosely), which would be the graviton. The graviton is unfortunately underestimated in its importance, power, and speed. Should we learn to tap into it, we'll find all the infinites we need to progress to the 'Star Trek' realm of reality. A lot of folks believe that this kind of travel is impossible, the fastest thing in the universe is light, but I keep in mind that these are the same reincarnated souls that said travel to the moon was impossible.

Einstein made some vital mistakes in his theories. He mistakenly believed that time is bent with speed, and that objects can shrink and lengthen depending on that variable. Unfortunately, that only describes a visual representation, which is not an accurate representation of time. Time is constant.

I've read that nuclear reactors have the ability to destroy matter to make energy. I wonder if it's possible to make matter from energy. If a cycle could be established, then based on the properties that matter has mass and energy has no mass, if an efficient conversion process could be established, then simply by creating a black hole to the fore of a ship, having the ship 'free fall' to the black hole, having the black hole then converted back to energy to be reconverted back to matter at a further point, in this way a ship could theoretically reach infinite speeds. Of course, many of you might suspect that creating a black hole might cause a disturbance to other objects, such as planets and stars, that happen to be in the ship's path. So, obviously, some form of gravitonic shield would need to be established. Of course, the hope is that by the time we figure out how to create the matter/antimatter process, we could also maybe come up with gravitonic shielding.

In any case, at infinite speeds, we could go anywhere we wanted, and wouldn't that be grand? But... it won't be George Bush II, the current evil emperor, ruling the world. In fact, it'll probably be Indonesia that's ruling the world by then. (a little indijestion if you don't mind)


RE: an example
By omnicronx on 11/10/2007 6:59:37 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
The closest solar system to ours with current technology is over 100 years away.
We don't even know what the closest 'solar system' is.. It has been suspected for many years that Alpha Centauri contains planets, and is one of the only known stars that has the potential for terrestrial life. By the way.. it's only 5 light years away..

I agree with you though, we are a long way from traveling distances like that. 5 lightyears is not too far though ;)


RE: an example
By BAFrayd on 11/11/2007 6:04:40 PM , Rating: 2
" 5 lightyears is not too far though ;)"

Oh really? Too far for what? Let's run the numbers...

670,616,629.2 MPH (The speed of light)
*8760 (hours per year)
*5 (number of years)
=29,373,008,358,960 miles

I believe the numbers above show that what we are witnessing here, is a disconnect between reality and fantasy. Put away the Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica science-FICTION videos, and (re)enter the world of reality and real science. Short of divine intervention, no human being will ever travel 5 light years during their lifetime.
Ever.


RE: an example
By Ringold on 11/11/2007 11:20:10 PM , Rating: 2
Unless my understanding is off, if the acceleration could be handled, a human being could travel 5 light years during their lifetime.

Might be quite a bit longer from our perspective, but that's not quite what you said, is it? :P

And no need to bash Star Trek; put down the flame-thrower, watch some TOS, and note how many totally fictional technologies exist today and are, in fact, vastly improved in some respects from the original vision.

This is especially true if you look at the Enterprise as captained by Pike; laser weapons and fusion-warhead torpedos.

Shields? Okay, so thats not likely. Warp drive? I've been told worm holes are more likely. But if you watch Star Trek for the warp drive, BSG for the jump drive (which has never been shown on screen), or Star Wars for the hyperdrive, then you wouldn't be the type of geek I'd associate with. :P There's a bit more to it then that..

Oh, and, in case you hadn't noticed, the next generation of aircraft carriers are fitted with hardpoints and electrical grids suited to power laser weapons. Hmm.


RE: an example
By scrapsma54 on 11/12/2007 9:08:04 AM , Rating: 2
If NAsa was not government funded we would be farther in Aeronautics and Space travel. We need competition, thats how many great ideas are forced. Space travel is slowly progressing, but is in a sad state compared to computer technology.


RE: an example
By lompocus on 11/10/2007 3:23:44 PM , Rating: 2
ever remember the announcement around 3 years ago (I forgot the project name) for 2012-2016 a ub3r telescope that'll make hubble look like an ant?

built by americans, too :)


RE: an example
By Ringold on 11/10/2007 4:25:32 PM , Rating: 6
Talking about the Terrestrial Planet Finder, TPF?

From wiki:
quote:
Congressional spending limits under House Resolution 20 passed on January 31, 2007, by the United States House of Representatives and February 14 by the U.S. Senate have all but cancelled the program.


quote:
However, as of April 2007, actual funding has not materialized, and TPF remains without a launch date.


Somebody, say it aint so! I already sent one letter to my Senator this year, I don't want to have to send a second whining about this. For god sakes, my Senator is Bill Nelson, you'd think he'd be championing something like this. House Reps get pork to the tune of tens of millions in the Defense budget for things like teaching minorities how to play golf and Nelson can't swing some money NASA's way?!