ISRO Releases First Illuminated Image of Lunar Surface Captured by Chandrayaan-2

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday released the first illuminated images of the lunar surface which were captured by Chandrayaan-2’s Imaging Infrared Spectrometer (IIRS) payload.

The ISRO released the images on its Twitter account showing part of the lunar farside in the northern hemisphere. The image also shows Sommmerfield crater floor, the sunlit inner rim of crater Kirkwood, Stebbins crater floor, fresh crater Ejecta in Sommerfield crater floor and Stebbins crater central peak.

"See the first illuminated image of the lunar surface acquired by #Chandrayaan2’s IIRS payload. IIRS is designed to measure reflected sunlight from the lunar surface in narrow and contiguous spectral channels," ISRO said in a tweet.

According to ISRO, IIRS is designed to measure the reflected sunlight and emitted part of Moon light from the lunar surface in narrow and contiguous spectral channels (bands). “The major objective of IIRS is to understand the origin and evolution of the Moon in a geologic context by mapping the lunar surface mineral and volatile composition using signatures in the reflected solar spectrum,” ISRO said in a statement.