What's Happening?
NASA's Psyche spacecraft has captured images of Earth and the Moon from approximately 180 million miles away. The images were taken in July 2025 using long-exposure techniques, showing the two celestial bodies as dots sparkling amid a starfield in the constellation Aries. The Psyche mission, part of NASA's Discovery Program, aims to study the asteroid Psyche, believed to be composed mostly of metal.
Why It's Important?
The images from Psyche provide valuable data on how the spacecraft's cameras respond to solar system objects that shine by reflected sunlight. This information is crucial for the mission's primary goal of studying the Psyche asteroid, which could offer insights into the building blocks of planet formation. Understanding the asteroid's composition may reveal details about the early solar system and the formation of terrestrial planets.
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