On this image taken by the SODISM instrument on board Cnes' satellite Picard on May 20th, a strange "Moon flower" seems, like the Little Prince's rose, to have grown on our natural satellite limb.
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| Group of sunspots looking like a flower growing on the Moon's limb. The image was rotated 90 degrees to create the effect. Credits: CNES/CNRS-LATMOS |
Of course, without atmosphere and liquid water, no flower can grow on the Moon. This beautiful plant was just a group of sunspots that the perspective placed at the limb of the Moon during the partial solar eclipse by the Moon.
Continuously ausculting our star since June 2010, Picard satellite was ideally placed to photograph this partial eclipse.
Note that Picard will also be well placed to observe Venus transit in front of our star on June 6th, the last transit before 2117!
Continuously ausculting our star since June 2010, Picard satellite was ideally placed to photograph this partial eclipse.
Note that Picard will also be well placed to observe Venus transit in front of our star on June 6th, the last transit before 2117!
Source:
- Fleur d’éclipse vue par Picard, La tête en l’air, CNES, May 25, 2012
