I have the impression it's many tens of thousands.

Pathetic, eh?

Bob Shaw

New image.

SMART-1’s view of Crater Hopmann: on the shoulder of a giant

http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM1PPOFGLE_index_0.html

Great mission which doesn't get much attantion in my opinion!
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEM1PPOFGLE_0.html

It is due to the lack of press releases compared to other missions. It may be doing great science, but we have no way to knowwhat it is finding. I predict that when global multispectral mosaics are compiled and released, there will be much more discussion.

Yes, but they'll release them in 2038 at this rate!

Bob Shaw

Look on the bright side: by that time, they'll be able to do wonders in data processing of the acquired imagery!

These two images, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board
ESA’s SMART-1 spacecraft, show the difference between lunar highlands and a mare
area from close by.

Full story:

http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMGBM9ATME_index_0.html

You forgot to add that the subject of this rare imagery is the faraway and hitherto unknown orb called Moon.

That's an official release? That the Moon actually has (get this!!) dark and light areas?

Perhaps, in a week or so, when the Moon is a bit fuller, we could all go outside one night and confirm this remarkable ESA fact?

Hopefully SMART-1 will be followed by EXTREMELYINTELLIGENTINDEED-2.

Andy G

I fail to see where in the press release it is they claim credit for "discovering" the dark and light areas so what's all the fuss about?

Seems to me that it's fashionable now to bash SMART-1 press release frequency so everybody feels to need to jump on this wagon.
I have a better candidate -- why don't we attack, for example, the VIMS instrument' s team aboard Cassini instead? I don't see all too many releases from an instrument that supposedly has better visibility through Titan's haze than ISS, but that doesn't seem to bother anyone. Not fashionable enough, I guess...

This image, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board
ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows the central peaks of crater Zucchius.

Full story:

http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMVQM9ATME_index_0.html

I completely agree with ugordan on this point. First, in that press release, the purpose is just to illustrate two contrasting terrains. Nothing wrong with that.

And second, there's no actual obligation for scientists to release data as it accumulates. We are spoiled by the daily release from MER and Cassini - and it appears the Cassini daily release was only accepted reluctantly - but frankly we are lucky to have it. A year or so after the end of the mission was generally how it worked for years, and in other disciplines data are often never released for free distribution. I enjoy, and use, the daily releases and really appreciate them, but they aren't a right.

All SMART-1 images will be available eventually. Be patient!

Phil

SMART images are blurried and in fact can be greatly improved through accurate sharpening; herebelow you'll find last releases reprocessed:


Hey, consider that resolution in m/pixel is always worse than Hubble's moon pictures !.

The very first line on the space science part of the ESA's site is:


...Nice idea. I look forward to being inspired, and to aspire. But at this rate, with SMART-1 I'll perspire then expire before getting the goods.

I saw a press release which I suppose the ESA would call "outreach". But it's not really thrilling the public, is it? A brace of four-month-old pictures and the accompanying blinkin' obvious caption aimed at (what?) a primary-school level audience doesn't, at this point, seem like a worthy return on my, or anyone else's, tax-euros. That's simply not good enough, and I'm a space enthusiast.

Phil went on to mention the difference between this and MER/Cassini releases, suggesting perhaps, that MER/Cassini are different to the traditional norm. Well, I'd agree that it's a relatively novel experience, to be able to fill our hard-drives with new images and data every day, but in the modern world I'd have to ask "why not?" Why not hand out the data to anyone who wants it? Science on that (often raw) data is one thing, but public accessibility to early releases from a publicly funded programme quite another. Surely?


I shall twiddle my thumbs and shut up.

Andy G

I am not really interested in its individual images...it is when they make multispectral maps from them that I will be excited.

I will also say that a lot of the press images seem to be shrunken.