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Credit & Copyright: Zhuoxiao
Wang
Explanation:
Familiar stars
of a northern winter's night shine in this night
skyview, taken near Zhangye, Gansu, China and the
border with Inner Mongolia.
During the early hours of December 17 Orion is near center
in the single exposure that
captures a fireball streaking
across the sky, almost as bright as yellowish Mars shining on the right.
Splitting Gemini's twin bright stars Castor and Pollux
near the top of the frame, the
fireball's trail and timing are consistent with the
second skipping
atmospheric entry of the Chang'e 5 mission's returner capsule.
The returner capsule was
successfully
recovered
after landing in Inner Mongolia, planet Earth
with about 2 kilograms of lunar material on board.
The lunar sample is thought to contain relatively
young material collected near the
Mons Rumker
region of the Moon's Oceanus Procellarum.
Launched on November 23 UT,
China's Chang'e 5 mission is the first
lunar
sample return mission
since the Soviet UnionÁs Luna 24 mission in 1976.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Moon
Publications with words: Moon
See also: