Viral ‘sharpest image’ of moon not captured by Chandrayaan-3
NewsMeter found that the image was created by astrophotographer Darya Kawa in 2021.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 23 Aug 2023 9:39 AM IST
Screengrab of the X post.
Social media users are sharing an image of the moon. They claim that it shows the moon’s sharpest image captured by India’s ambitious lunar exploration mission Chandrayaan-3.
An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the image with the caption, “One of the Sharpest images of the Moon.”
(Image Credit: X/@mahadev_7890)
A Facebook user also shared the image claiming the same.
The claim comes after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that Chandrayaan-3 will land on the Moon's surface on August 23.
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the image was created by astrophotographer Darya Kawa in 2021.
On performing a reverse image search, we found it carried by an NDTV report from 2022. The report is titled “Stunning Detailed Image Of Moon Captured By Astrophotographer Leaves Internet Mesmerised.”
It said that the image was shared by astrophotographer Darya Kawa on Reddit with the caption, “One of the sharpest moon image[s] I ever captured through an 8-inch telescope.”
(Image Credit: NDTV)
We looked for the image on Reddit and found it posted by user Darya Kawa on October 2, 2022, with the same caption.
(Image Credit: Reddit/ Darya Kawa)
In an interview with Newsweek, Kawa said the image was captured using a “Celestron NexStar 8SE with a Canon EOS 1200D attached to it.” He also said that he shot more than 300 raw images and combined them to reveal the color and clarity of the Moon's surface.
It also stated that the image illuminates a section of the Moon which shows several crater marks and ridges illuminated by the sun.
Hence, we conclude that the viral image of the moon was not captured by the Chandrayaan-3. The claim is false.
