Satellite catches moon crossing Earth

Here’s something you don’t see every day. It’s our moon, as seen from its far side, crossing the face of the Earth. A NASA camera aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite was conducting a series of test images when it captured this view of the moon in July, 2015.

NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), a four megapixel CCD camera and telescope on the DSCOVR satellite orbiting 1 million miles (1.6 million km) from Earth, created the images used to make this animation.

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).

Read more about this image from NASA

Bottom line: In July 2015 – while testing a spaceborne camera – a satellite caught images of the moon crossing the Earth’s face. The images show the moon’s far side, the side never seen from Earth.