... June 8, 1996 . The First Lunar Observatory . Credit: NASA , Apollo 16 . Explanation: The first and only lunar astronomical observatory was deployed by the Apollo 16 crew in 1972. The Far Ultraviolet Camera / Spectrograph used a 3-inch diameter telescope to photograph the Earth , various nebulae , star clusters , and the Large Magellanic Cloud . The camera is seen above placed in the shadow of the Lunar Module so it would not overheat. ... About APOD | ... NASA Technical Rep.: ...