The EPIC camera is providing a series of Earth images allowing study of daily variations over the entire globe. From its position between the Sun and Earth, DSCOVR conducts its primary mission of real-time solar wind monitoring for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, depending on the relative orbital phases of the moon and DSCOVR, the moon appears between the spacecraft and Earth once or twice a year. The images were captured by Nasa’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), a four-megapixel CCD camera and telescope on the DSCOVR satellite orbiting one million miles from Earth. This orbit intersects the lunar orbit about four times a year.

Source: Mint July 12, 2016 07:07 UTC