NASA shares a 'false-colour mosaic' of the moon captured by Galileo probe

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Moon picture clicked via Galileo spacecraft (Image: Instagram/nasa)
Moon picture clicked via Galileo spacecraft (Image: Instagram/nasa)

New Delhi : The US-based space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA) has shared a picture of the Earth's natural satellite – the Moon, clicked by Galileo spacecraft. The picture looks like a piece of modern art, showcasing different colour shades of the moon.

The caption of the post stated: "Our Galileo spacecraft took this false-colour mosaic, constructed from a series of 53 images... zoomed over the northern regions of our Moon on December 7, 1992... The mosaic helps us see variations in parts of the Moon's northern hemisphere..."



The space agency has also mentioned that the picture was taken when the spacecraft was on its way to Jupiter.

The benefit of such images remain with the scientists as they help in understanding the topography of the moon.

Further identifying regions of the lunar surface, the caption stated, "To the left of Crisium is the dark blue Mare Tranquillitatis, where Apollo 11 landed." 

"Named after the Italian astronomer who discovered Jupiter's four largest moons, the Galileo probe orbited the giant planet from 1995 to 2003. Presently, Galileo's successor mission, Juno, is currently exploring the Jovian giant to help us understand the origins of our solar system," the post added.