What you see above is not a 3D model made on a computer. It is a composition captured and created by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that depicts the earth rising over the surface of the moon.Advertisements Launched on June 18th, 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) had a primary mission of mapping out the topography and polar regions of the moon. It did this through the use of multiple instruments, as well as an onboard camera, with a maximum resolution of 50cm/pixel (20in/pixel). With its main mission completed within its year-long time-frame, a secondary mission as well as extensions have been placed on the LRO. Reminiscent of the iconic ‘Blue Marble’ image, which was captured 43 years ago, this image features an almost identical composition in terms of what part of Earth is showing. In the words of NASA: The LRO spacecraft was roughly 83 miles (134 kilometers above the moon’s surface at the time of capture, according to NASA. It might not live up to the glory of the original Blue Marble, or the 2015 remake, but it’s an astounding image nonetheless. To see the full-resolution image, click here.
