SLIM, Small Japanese lunar lander Options

[Phil Stooke]

A bit more on that curious little bright spot adjacent to the SLIM lander:

https://twitter.com/this_is_tckb/status/1785878807557099996

This link goes to a tweet from the same person who posted the SLIM image, but it refers to an OHRC image of Chandrayaan 3. It also shows a small bright spot right next to the Vikram lander. The poster, Chandra, suggests it is Pragyan but it is in the wrong place. ISRO's map and a second map show Pragyan about 33 m northwest of the lander, and I have shown that it is visible at that location casting a shadow in an LRO image. And that same object is casting a long shadow in this new image too so the bright spot certainly is not Pragyan.

So, two OHRC images both showing a very bright lander at low sun and a small bright spot right next to it. I think it is an artifact, perhaps caused by an internal reflection in the camera and showing up because the real image of the lander is so bright.

Phil