Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2024 March 2
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                            Odysseus on the Moon
                     Image Credit: [3]Intuitive Machines

   Explanation: [4]Methalox rocket engine firing, Odysseus' landing legs
   absorb first contact with the lunar surface in this wide-angle snapshot
   from a camera on board the robotic Intuitive Machines [5]Nova-C moon
   lander. Following the [6]landing on February 22, broken landing legs,
   visible in the image, ultimately left the lander at rest but tilted.
   Odysseus' gentle lean into a sloping lunar surface preserved the phone
   booth-sized lander's ability to operate, collect solar power, and
   return images and data to Earth. [7]Its exact landing site in the
   Moon's far south polar region was imaged by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance
   Orbiter. Donated by NASA, the American flag seen on the lander's
   central panel is 1970 Apollo program flight hardware.

                     Tomorrow's picture: behind the Moon
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    Authors & editors: [19]Robert Nemiroff ([20]MTU) & [21]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([22]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [23]Specific rights apply.
              [24]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [25]ASD at [26]NASA / [27]GSFC,
                         [28]NASA Science Activation
                           & [29]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2403/IM_Odysseus_landing-2048x1118.png
   3. https://www.intuitivemachines.com/
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230406.html
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intuitive_Machines_Nova-C
   6. https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2024/02/28/nasa-intuitive-machines-share-images-from-the-moon-provide-science-updates/
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/lro/nasas-lro-images-intuitive-machines-odysseus-lander/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240301.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  12. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  17. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240302
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240303.html
  19. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  20. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  22. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  24. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  25. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  26. https://www.nasa.gov/
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  28. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  29. http://www.mtu.edu/