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Credit & Copyright: NASA /
Lunar
Orbiter Image Recovery Project
Explanation:
August 10th
was the 50th anniversary of the launch of Lunar Orbiter 1.
It was the first of five Lunar Orbiters intended to photograph the Moon's
surface to aid in the selection of future landing sites.
That spacecraft's camera captured the data used in this
restored,
high-resolution version of its historic first image
of Earth from the Moon on August 23, 1966 while on its 16th lunar orbit.
Hanging almost stationary in the sky when viewed from the
lunar surface, Earth appears to be
setting beyond the rugged lunar horizon
from the perspective of the orbiting spacecraft.
Two years later, the Apollo 8 crew would record a more famous
scene in color: Earthrise from lunar orbit.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: lunar orbiter
Publications with words: lunar orbiter
See also: