Japansese Jaxa Moon videos..

[Mr.Entropy]

The sun is shining this way, on the moon, that it comes from the upper left side of the screen.

A fascinating optical illusion.  What you think is a protrusion is actually an indentation, and vice versa, causing you think that the light is coming from the wrong direction.

Stare at it until you can see it the other way, and you'll see that the sun is behind you and over your right shoulder.

Cheers,

Mr. Entropy

[Charlie_V]

The only reason to fake it would be that the original probe failed and they are trying to fool their funders.  However, these pictures are way to crappy to be fake.  I would think hoaxers would make better pictures, especially with all the heat NASA has gotten. 

Personally though, I don't really care one way or the other.

[z.monkey]

Howdy Y'all,

When you are in space the stars are barely visible.  The starlight is higher in frequency than you eyes can fully detect.  The camera is less sensitive than your eyes, thus no stars.  The stars are more visible in the atmosphere because the light is slowed down by friction with the air and it falls into the visible range.  The stars are more visible from the moons surface than in space.  The moon has a slight, tenuous atmosphere that makes this effect.

Blessed Be Brothers...

[Bubba1]

What's wrong with this crater?  It's a perfect circle!

[sigmaX]

HI Hartiberlin, et all:

I am no expert, but I think that earth's athmosphere acts as a magnifying lens, so we see a bigger moon than it actually is. This is particularly noticeable when the moon is right above the horizon, and we got that big full yellowish moon, that women get so crazy about with their "how romantic" or whatever sayings

Now in space, the magnifying lens is gone. THUS: earth is "small" seen from the moon.

Now, about stars, I am not that sure that light gets shifted or slowed by athmosphere (Actually I don?t think so)... I believe problem is more on the brightness compensation circuits inside the camera: If they try to get the stars right, both moon and earth will be burned away. So they close the electronic iris to get the "big picture" and shuts down the stars.

As many says, those are my "two cents".

Regards,

Enrique.