The first 3D image of the moon taken by Chandrayaan-1 will be processed tomorrow (Nov 17, 2008). The image captured by the Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) will be from the region around the moon’s equator.
(UPDATE: ISRO has posted the 2.30 minutes 3D video taken by Terrain Mapping Camera)
This is the first time in the world that a 3D atlas of the moon with a very high resolution of 5 metres will be created.
In a piece that I wrote in the The Hindu, I had explained the principle behind TMC.
The images taken by the Terrain Mapping Camera will help create a 3D view of the moon. This becomes possible as TMC will capture a single region from 3 different angles simultaneously although it uses only a single camera.
The Terrain Mapping Camera captures a single point from three different angles using a single camera.
Though the time taken to complete one orbit will be 2 hours, the moon will be imaged only for 20 minutes per orbit. This is because the moon will imaged only when it is well illuminated by sun. This applies only to the regions lying 30 degress on either side of the zero latitude.
Again the moon can be imaged continuously only for 60 days in 6 months. So in a year there can be only 120 days of imaging of the moon.
The higher latitute regions, including the poles will be imaged when the lower latitudes are not imaged.
Tags: 3D imaging, Chandrayaan-1, ISRO, lunar atlas, Madhavan nair, moon, Terrain mapping camera, TMC
