NASA reveals images of ‘surfboard-shaped object’ orbiting the moon
- These images were captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
- The object closely resembles Marvel’s Silver Surfer’s hoverboard
- However, the object is not something from comic books, or a UFO
Published on Apr 13, 2024 at 12:27 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Apr 15, 2024 at 12:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
NASA has revealed images of a surfboard-shaped object orbiting the moon.
The images were captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) between March 5 and 6, 2024.
Marvel fans were quick to jump to social media and compare the object with the surfboard carried by the fictional character Silver Surfer.
READ MORE! NASA’s wacky-looking Super Guppy could be the reason humans are able to get back on the moon
“Silver Surfer’s surfboard?” commented one X user, predictably.
However, the mysterious object is not something from Marvel comics, superhero movies, or even an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO).
So, now that the world has gotten over the hype of the total solar eclipse, how about we take a look at a surfboard-shaped object orbiting the moon?
The LRO operations team used its ‘narrow-angle camera’ to capture images of a strange object that went whizzing past the Moon last month.
The LRO has been circling and studying the Moon for 15 years, now.
So, they know what they’re talking about, basically.
The images taken by the orbiter show a surfboard or frisbee-shaped object flying past the surface of the Moon.
According to NASA’s press note, the object is the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s Danuri Lunar Orbiter.
Although it wasn’t exactly a UFO sighting, we have seen a lot of similar sightings in recent times.
The LRO captured the image while zipping past Danuri in opposite directions.
The image appears to be distorted because of the extremely fast relative velocity between it and the LRO.
“Although LRO’s camera exposure time was very short, only 0.338 milliseconds, Danuri still appears smeared to 10 times its size in the opposite direction of travel because of the relative high travel velocities between the two spacecraft,” NASA explained.
The Danuri is South Korea’s first spacecraft on the Moon and has been in lunar orbit since December 2022.
On the other hand, NASA’s LRO has been orbiting the moon since 2009.
Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing a real-life Silver Surfer anytime soon.
However, Marvel could use this as a piece of great marketing material for their upcoming Fantastic Four movie, featuring none other than Silver Surfer.
Nalin Rawat
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
