Chandrayaan-1 HySI sends 64-color moon images

Chandrayaan-1′s Hyper-Spectral Imager (HySI) has sent moon imagery,  lunar craterlet BarrowH HySI image (64 Bands), and a strip (20 km across x 40 km along track) from the moon’s equatorial region in 64 bands.

The moon imagery has been captured by the HySI and the Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) on November 16, 2008. The length of the strip is 39 kilometres.

Moon photos sent by Chandrayaan-1's HySI

Moon images in 64 colors sent by Chandrayaan-1 HySI

Lunar craterlet BarrowH image in 64 Bands sent by Chandrayaan-1's HySI

The function of Chandrayaan-1′s HySi is to conduct mineralogical mapping of the lunar surface. The HySI operates in the 400-900 nm band with a spectral resolution of 15 nm and a spatial resolution of 80 m.
The HySI can see visible as well as ultraviolet to infrared light. Because of this, Chandrayaan-1′s HySI is able to capture color images of the Moon’s surface, which will help detect differences between the minerals found on the Moon’s surface.

The images of the lunar surface will be taken in 64 colors. Chandrayaan-1′s HySi has a wedge filter that will split the light into 64 colors. The HySI will be in orbit for only 20 minutes, and will cover an area of 1,680 km by 20 km.

ISRO has said that the HySI will add to the currently available information about the mineralogical content of the Moon. It will also provide valuable information about the deeper regions like South Pole- Aitken basin, which represents lower crust or upper mantle of the Moon.

The HySI will help scientists study the composition and mineralogy of the moon’s interior, and the Moon’s formation and evolution.