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Author
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Topic: Apollo 10 mini-mystery solved?
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BLACKARROW
unregistered
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posted 03-14-2005 05:07 PM
 
One of the most well-known Apollo splashdown photographs is the beautiful picture of Apollo 10 silhouetted against a dawn sky, just before splashdown. We've all seen it. It's on page 200 of "Apollo Expeditions to the Moon" and in the colour picture section of Apogee's "Apollo 10: the NASA Mission Reports." It appears in numerous other books and NASA publications.Ever since I first saw that picture in 1969 I have been puzzled by an odd dark line just under the parachutes. I assumed it was just an odd cloud-effect, but it always looked too straight to be a cloud. I have never looked at that picture without wondering what caused that strange dark line in the sky. Now, almost 36 years later, I'm 99.9% sure I know what it is. Am I the only person to notice the "dark line?" Would anyone care to suggest what it is?
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sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 03-14-2005 05:34 PM
 
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ejectr
Member Posts: 1758
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-14-2005 05:49 PM
Possibly an open helicopter door reflecting in the window that the photograph was taken through????Looking at the whole dark area, it takes on a parachute shape of its own, sort of. |
Aztecdoug
Member Posts: 1405
From: Huntington Beach
Registered: Feb 2000
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posted 03-14-2005 06:00 PM
Could it be a helicopter blade?------------------
Kind Regards Douglas Henry Enjoy yourself and have fun.... it is only a hobby!
http://home.earthlink.net/~aztecdoug/ |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1758
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-14-2005 06:05 PM
Aztecdoug....."By George...I think you've got it!" |
Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 260
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-15-2005 05:01 PM
You can see a similar effect in the title sequence of Kubrick's The Shining - freeze frame the shot of the hotel near the end of the titles. |
BLACKARROW
unregistered
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posted 03-15-2005 05:21 PM
The consensus appears to be that it's a helicopter blade, and I agree. The key to this can be found in the Spacecraftfilms DVD Apollo 10 set. Check the brief splashdown movie. There is the same view of the spacecraft descending against the dawn sky. The film is shot from a helicopter and the spinning rotor blades can be clearly seen. It is now obvious to me that the famous still photograph was shot just as one of the rotor blades rotated into view. I assume the low light level meant a relatively slow shutter speed (blurring the spinning rotor). The lens would have been wide open (a low "F-stop" number)and the camera would have been focussed at infinity. Anything in the foreground, such as an already blurry rotor-blade, would have been even more out of focus.Thank you, Spacecraftfilms, for solving this little puzzle for me! |
firstonmars
New Member Posts:
From:
Registered:
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posted 03-22-2005 02:03 PM
I also agree that it's a helicoptor blade. Good job ejectr! |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1758
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-22-2005 03:06 PM
Not me.....!Aztecdoug be the man! |
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