Astronomy Picture Of The Day: mini-panorama blends two photographs taken by Apollo 15’s lunar module pilot Jim Irwin

 

#NASA, #Space, #astronomy, #διάστημα

James Webb Telescope Cosmic Explorations

This mini-panorama blends two photographs taken by Apollo 15’s lunar module pilot Jim Irwin at the conclusion of the second moonwalk on August 1, 1971.

Shot from the ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package) site, the image shows Commander David R. Scott leaning to his right while he places the Apollo Lunar Surface drill, used for core sampling and a heat flow experiment.

In the foreground stands the ALSEP Central Station, with the Passive Seismic Experiment to the left and the Lunar Surface magnetometer tucked behind toward the center.

On the far right sits the Solar Wind Spectrometer. Apollo 15 was the first mission to explore the lunar region near Hadley Rille and the Apennine Mountains, and this photograph captures both tools of discovery and a moment frozen in lunar exploration history.

The mini-panorama was expertly composed from images AS15-11845 and AS15-11847 by Erik van Meijgaarden for the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal.

Image Credit: NASA