Lunar lander snaps eerie photo of an oncoming lunar night before its long sleep

Japan's lunar lander landed on the lunar surface with extreme precision and regained power after a full nine days.

Upon landing, JAXA announced the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) nearly tipped upside down, and now reports indicate the SLIM lander is going dormant while it endures the long lunar night. According to JAXA the SLIM lander has captured an eerie photograph of the impending lunar night, which it might not even wake up from.

The photograph showcases the Shioli crater right before dusk, and according to reports, the lunar night lasts for two Earth weeks, and temperatures reach below -200 degrees Fahrenheit. Notably, the SLIM lander is solar-powered, and according to JAXA, it wasn't designed to withstand the long duration of the lunar night.

However, the SLIM lander has already impressed its creators, which is why JAXA engineers will attempt to try to operate it again once the lunar night has passed. More specifically, the lunar lander will attempt to be operated once again in mid-February when the Sun comes back out and shines on SLIM's solar cells.