Space Mission
Apollo 11, 16-24 July 1969
Exhibition(s)
La Lune: Du Voyage Réel aux Voyages Imaginaires, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais exhibition catalog, ppg. 28-29, no. 21 illustrates this work
Photographer
Neil Armstrong
Photo Description
Vintage gelatin prints on fiber-based paper; Numbered consecutively to lower margins ‘AS11-40-5933’, ‘AS11-40-5934’, ‘AS11-40-5935’, ‘AS11-40-5936’, ‘AS11-40-5937’, ‘AS11-40-5938’, ‘AS11-40-5939’ and ‘AS11-40-5940’. Original scientific annotations made by USGS scientist identifying lunar rocks at Tranquility base.
8 h × 10 w in (20 × 25 cm);
Essay
Neil Armstrong backed away 20 meters southeast of Eagle to take this panoramic sequence while Buzz Aldrin was removing scientific equipment from the LM. The frames of this panoramic sequence were not released by NASA Public Affairs after the mission.
The Sun illuminates the lunar surface in direction of Little West Crater which Armstrong explored at the end of the EVA. Without an atmosphere to filter the light, the Moon appears as a blinding desert on its surface (and a bright orb from Earth) even if it has a low reflective power. The Sun shines so brightly on the moondust that the glare makes it impossible to see the stars in the black lunar sky.
From the mission transcript when the panoramic sequence was taken:
110:57:05 Armstrong:And the panorama is complete. I’m at about the LM 7:30 position (SE) at about 60 feet.