Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 March 2 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Odysseus on the Moon Image Credit: [3]Intuitive Machines Explanation: [4]Methalox rocket engine firing, Odysseus' landing legs absorb first contact with the lunar surface in this wide-angle snapshot from a camera on board the robotic Intuitive Machines [5]Nova-C moon lander. Following the [6]landing on February 22, broken landing legs, visible in the image, ultimately left the lander at rest but tilted. Odysseus' gentle lean into a sloping lunar surface preserved the phone booth-sized lander's ability to operate, collect solar power, and return images and data to Earth. [7]Its exact landing site in the Moon's far south polar region was imaged by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Donated by NASA, the American flag seen on the lander's central panel is 1970 Apollo program flight hardware. Tomorrow's picture: behind the Moon __________________________________________________________________ [8]< | [9]Archive | [10]Submissions | [11]Index | [12]Search | [13]Calendar | [14]RSS | [15]Education | [16]About APOD | [17]Discuss | [18]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [19]Robert Nemiroff ([20]MTU) & [21]Jerry Bonnell ([22]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [23]Specific rights apply. [24]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [25]ASD at [26]NASA / [27]GSFC, [28]NASA Science Activation & [29]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2403/IM_Odysseus_landing-2048x1118.png 3. https://www.intuitivemachines.com/ 4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230406.html 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intuitive_Machines_Nova-C 6. https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2024/02/28/nasa-intuitive-machines-share-images-from-the-moon-provide-science-updates/ 7. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/lro/nasas-lro-images-intuitive-machines-odysseus-lander/ 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240301.html 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 12. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 17. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240302 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240303.html 19. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 20. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 22. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 24. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 25. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 26. https://www.nasa.gov/ 27. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 28. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 29. http://www.mtu.edu/