Chang'e-1 Lunar Eclipse in "dark" of the Lantern Festival

Keywords: Chang'e-1 Lunar Eclipse Lantern

This year, the Lantern Festival encounter "black." "Fortunately" total eclipse of the field in tomorrow during the day, the country has almost no observation, only appears in Europe, America, Africa and other continents. But when the moon to the Earth block the Sun's "back", relying on solar-powered Chang'e-1 lunar satellite will temporarily lose part of energy. To this end, the Beijing Aerospace flight control center is ahead of the implementation of satellite orbit adjustments, on-board key equipment are ready to prepare the "dark". Total eclipse of the Moon: confronts broken test to crisis

Chang'e 1, usually at the height of the Moon's 200 km circular orbit around the Moon, but on the day of the Festival, the whole moon and satellites see smooth, are obscured by the shadow of the Earth's huge, it is expected that the time is three to four hours. It was revealed that this transfer orbit, the satellite orbit is elevation near 2 km, means "Chang" in Eclipse shadows of time will be shortened to two hours, almost around, around the time required. This is not only a satellite saves a tremendous amount of fuel, the satellite's solar array wings to gather energy, can also be hidden in the battery, the protection of short-time electricity.

Eclipse of the period, the Sung part of carrying on a scientific survey instrument will temporarily shut down, particularly in some consuming a large instrument, but experts believe that total eclipse in General, the work on the satellite. Referred to as the "Lunar laser eye" of Chang'e-1 laser altimeter was also in the ranks of the "power-saving shutdown", the development of the Chinese Academy of Shanghai Institute of technical physics, introduction, laser altimeter by power-heating, working temperature-20 ° c, but in the power of the vacuum in the temperature drops dramatically until about 20 degrees Celsius below zero, which parts of the instrument have a certain influence. But researchers indicated that the ground-temperature measurement is considering Eclipse, and set more stringent conditions, equipment such as optical deformation within the manageable. World Science report (tech.)

Chang'e 1 this summer will also have to undergo an Eclipse, and also to reduce rail ahead of schedule. In addition, the country's next total eclipse of the Moon is visible, to wait until June 2011.