Beautiful sunset seen from the moon

Blue Ghost spacecraft takes sunset photos from the Moon - Photo: FIREFLY AEROSPACE

Blue Ghost, a spacecraft operated by the American company Firefly Aerospace and funded by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), successfully landed on the part of the Moon near Earth on March 2, completing a 14-day exploration and research mission.

Moments before darkness fell on the Moon, the Blue Ghost spacecraft captured the first high-definition images of sunset from Earth's natural satellite.

These images may help solve the long-standing mystery of the unusual dust layer observed on the Moon in the 1960s, according to IFLScience on March 21.

During the 14 days of night on the Moon, temperatures in the area of ​​the Moon not exposed to sunlight can drop to -133 degrees Celsius near the equator and lower at the poles, making it almost impossible for most equipment to "survive".

Sunset on the Moon - Source: YOUTUBE

On March 16, dusk fell on the Moon, marking the end of the Blue Ghost mission. However, the event allowed the spacecraft to capture stunning scenes as the Sun slowly sank toward the horizon and the Moon sank into darkness.

"These images, taken from multiple angles and stitched together into a video, show the horizon light appearing just above the Moon's surface as the Sun sets. Earth and Venus (which are further away) are also seen above the Moon," Firefly said.

These images could provide clues to explaining the Moon's horizon glow, a phenomenon in which dust particles in the Moon's thin atmosphere create light as dusk falls.

The phenomenon was first recorded in the 1960s by the US Surveyor 5, 6 and 7 spacecraft missions. Scientists believe it is the result of light scattering through a layer of dust. Now researchers can understand more with clearer images.

"Moon dust particles can become electrically charged due to exposure to the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. These particles can experience electrostatic repulsion, causing them to rise from the Moon's surface. It will take some time to look through these images," said Joel Kearns, who works at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

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