CatSat Returns First HD Camera Images
The first well-exposed image from the HD Camera on CatSat. The image was taken around sunset over the Andes mountain range. North is towards the bottom of the image. Lower right of center in the image, the snowy mountaintops of the Andes can be seen.
Following a long period of commissioning, the CatSat team has received the first detailed pictures from the HD Camera aboard CatSat. The black and white camera produces high-resolution images with a wide field of view.
Clouds and the snowy mountaintops of the Andes mountain range are visible in the center of the featured image, which was the first image of the sequence, taken around sunset. The high exposure sensitivity of the camera means that the parts of the Earth's surface under direct sunlight are washed out, while the parts entering night time are black. The rounded corners of the image are not due to the curvature of the Earth, but instead come from the circular porthole in the instrument module panel which covers the camera electronics. On the left side of the image, the edge of the panel is illuminated by the sun, producing a white ring. North is towards the bottom of the image.
The image sequence was taken just before midnight UTC (just before 5 PM Tucson time) on December 16th, 2024. The camera produced 17 frames in total, which were reconstructed into a short video.