Watch This Amazing Fly Over The Moon Video

This video was recorded by the SELENE Lunar Orbiter, better known in Japan by its nickname Kaguya, which refers to a princess, a bamboo cutter, and a mysterious girl that lives on the moon. This craft was the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft following the Hiten probe.

These high quality video images are set to the perfect mood music for the occasion. The images and details are so close you'll get the feeling that you are flying over the surface yourself.

You can watch on your phone, but I suggest finding the biggest screen you can, turning off the lights, and turning up the volume. It's that good. In fact I went back, late at night, and threw the video on to my television, then watched it with the lights out and the volume up.

The mission objectives of Selene are a global survey of the entire moon surface. To do this Japan had to develop technologies for the lunar orbit insertion and spacecraft attitude and orbit control.

The reason for the closer survey of the Moon is because we need a better understanding of the origin and evolution of our closest neighbor.

The craft will also measure the gravity field, elemental/chemical composition and more. Selene will orbit the Moon for a year.

This video was produced by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA), the spacecraft was launched on September 14, 2007. After successfully orbiting the Moon for a year and eight months, the main orbiter was instructed to impact on the lunar surface near the crater Gill on June 10, 2009.