Blue Ghost captures ‘diamond ring’ during solar eclipse

The Blue Ghost lunar lander, developed by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, captured a rare astronomical phenomenon — a solar eclipse seen from the surface of the Moon. In the published image, the Earth almost completely blocks the Sun, leaving only a narrow shining rim — an effect known as the “diamond ring.” This eclipse coincided with a total lunar eclipse that could be seen from Earth. As a result, the natural satellite acquired a reddish tint. Curiously, the resulting image is almost identical to the logo of the cult TV series Heroes.

Image source: Firefly Aerospace

On March 2 at 10:30 Moscow time, the Blue Ghost lander successfully landed in the Sea of ​​Crises. The device landed in a vertical position, without any technical failures, which distinguishes it from a number of competitors. For example, the Odysseus probe from Intuitive Machines, although it reached the surface, landed at an angle, which made it difficult to operate. In contrast, Blue Ghost landed in normal mode and immediately began performing scientific tasks.

On March 14 at 8:30 Moscow time, the module’s onboard camera recorded a rare phenomenon – a solar eclipse visible from the surface of the Moon. As the Earth blocked the Sun, a “diamond ring” effect arose: sunlight penetrated the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a ring-shaped glow. This eclipse occurred simultaneously with a total lunar eclipse, which was observed from Earth. During it, the Earth’s satellite acquired a reddish-orange hue – a phenomenon caused by the scattering of sunlight in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The lunar eclipse lasted for about five hours, significantly longer than the lunar eclipse seen from Earth. Firefly Aerospace also released another image taken early in the eclipse, showing the spacecraft’s solar panel gradually moving into Earth’s shadow. The loss of sunlight caused the spacecraft’s equipment to drop in temperature, temporarily shutting down a number of systems, including the X-band antenna used to transmit data to Earth.

The Blue Ghost lander carries ten NASA scientific instruments designed to study the lunar surface and environment. The mission is part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, in which NASA engages private companies to deliver scientific equipment to the Moon. The main tasks of the device include studying the composition of the regolith, analyzing environmental conditions, and collecting information that could play a key role in preparing future manned missions.

During the eclipse, the module’s X-band antenna experienced extreme cold and temporarily failed. Firefly Aerospace said it plans to transmit additional images of the eclipse, which are currently stored in Blue Ghost’s onboard computer, after the systems warm up. The company has also released video footage of the spacecraft’s epic landing, captured by its onboard cameras, providing a unique opportunity to study the successful landing.