A selection of the images captured by the Optical Navigation Cameras (ONC) have been released on the open space science data archive, DARTS (Data ARchives and Transmission System). The DARTS archive is maintained by the Center for Science-satellite Operation and Data Archive (C-SODA) at ISAS, JAXA. Using this publicly available data, we have created a movie.

Figure 1 shows Ryugu’s north pole facing towards the top of the image in the usual orientation. The large Otohime boulder can be seen near the bottom. In Figure 2, Ryugu is shown in the orientation used when the Earth is pictured in the Solar System, with the direction of the Earth’s north pole facing up. In this case, Ryugu’s south pole faces the top of the image as Ryugu rotates in the opposite direction to the Earth (retrograde rotation).

• 
  [Open in another window]
  Figure 1: Animation of Ryugu with the north pole facing up. The animation was created using data from the ONC-T observations collected on July 10, 2018 between 06:05 and 13:55 UTC. (Image credit※: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST.)

• 
  [Open in another window]
  Figure 2: Ryugu with the south pole facing up. Ryugu is rotating backwards. Animation created using data from ONC-T observations on July 10, 2018 between 06:05 and 13:55 UTC. (Image credit※: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST.)

Hayabusa2 Project
2019.12.28

※ Please use the displayed credit when reproducing these images. In the case where an abbreviated form is necessary, please write "JAXA, University of Tokyo & collaborators".