Artemis II Shows How Off-the-Shelf Cameras Are Becoming Scientific Tools in Space
Stunning images captured by astronauts aboard Artemis II using a Nikon Z9 have now been used to help researchers learn more about astronomy.
3 min read
A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes it's far more valuable.
The Artemis II crew took hundreds of stellar photos while slingshotting around the moon, using little more than an off-the-shelf Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera. It turns out those images are not only good enough for desktop backgrounds but also for scientific discovery.
Researchers from Tokyo City University published a study in June using photographs of a total solar eclipse obtained during the Artemis II lunar flyby to investigate the properties of the F-corona -- fancy science-speak for interplanetary dust particles that scatter sunlight when the moon is viewed with the sun directly behind it. This faint astronomical phenomenon gives the moon a halo-like glow.
One of the most iconic photographs...
Copyright of this story solely belongs to cnet.com. To see the full text click HERE
