Deep Space Climate Observatory - Moon Crossing

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) captured this image in July 2015. It shows our Moon crossing in front of the sunlit side of the Earth. We are seeing the far side of the Moon - the side never visible from Earth.

Launched in February 2015, DSCOVR is a joint mission of NOAA, NASA, and the U.S. Air Force. Its suite of instruments will measure the properties of solar particles and the solar wind, measure the radiation reflected and emitted by the Earth, and take images of the sunlit side of our planet.

On June 8, DSCOVR arrived at L1 (Lagrangian point 1), an orbital point about 1 million miles from Earth. L points are stable locations that are ideal for making observations. There are five L points around the Earth. The satellite will begin regular data collection from L1 in the fall.