|
Author
|
Topic: Apollo 11: First photo taken after touchdown
|
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 08-25-2014 12:34 PM
  
What was the first photo taken on the lunar surface after the Apollo 11 lunar module touched down? The photo was taken from the LM window. Was it frame 37-5449, 39-5737 or 40-5847?  
|
Bob Shaw
New Member Posts: 3
From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Registered: Nov 2013
|
posted 08-26-2014 09:42 AM
This is a panorama created from two post-touchdown views from the Apollo 11 LM. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 08-26-2014 11:00 AM
It looks to me like frames 5449 and 5847 were used to create that panorama: - different magazines (37 and 40)
- different cameras (IVA and EVA)
- different lenses (80mm and 60mm)
Also notice that there are Reseau crosses on the right side only. There are no Reseau crosses on photos taken with the spare (IVA) Hasselblad camera that stayed in the LM. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1390
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
|
posted 08-26-2014 11:10 AM
This is a very good question. You would think that the first photo taken from the moon would have been "pushed" more on the public as just that? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 54659
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 08-26-2014 11:15 AM
If digital photos existed back then, and if they were downlinking the photos back to Earth in real time, then the first photograph would have probably garnished more attention. But just like the first photos from the Mars rovers, they were only singled out as spectacular until the higher resolution, more scenic shots started to be received on Earth. As all of the Apollo 11 photos arrived on Earth at the same time, the first photo was probably seen as far less interesting than those showing the astronauts. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 08-26-2014 12:13 PM
It looks like Neil Armstrong took the three photos in the first post. |
Bob Shaw
New Member Posts: 3
From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Registered: Nov 2013
|
posted 08-26-2014 12:43 PM
The panorama was indeed constructed from the two images noted above - I simply grabbed the source images from the top of this thread and merged them. |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 2123
From: Fairfax, VA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 08-26-2014 06:10 PM
It was smart of them to take a photo immediately upon arrival like that, so they could remember where they parked. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 08-26-2014 09:22 PM
Here is the window photography plan from the surface checklist. The black and white film is mentioned first, so maybe frame 5737 was the first photo. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 08-27-2014 11:00 AM
The first photos taken after touchdown would have the longest shadows. Later photos would have slightly shorter shadows. Is it possible that such subtle changes in shadow length could be detected in the three photographs being discussed? Could the first photo taken after touchdown be determined by shadow length?
|
Headshot
Member Posts: 1412
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
|
posted 08-27-2014 07:22 PM
It's possible, but may be very difficult. The sun, as seen from the lunar surface, moves at about a degree per 1.82 hours, a lunar day lasts 655.68 hours. If there were a significant time interval between the first picture and subsequent pictures, there may be a difference in shadow lengths. But if they were taken within a few minutes of each other, the shadow length differences may not be measurable.As info, the time interval from lunar landing to Armstrong's boot on the ground was about 6.6 hours, but probably a significant portion was taken up with EVA prep. So the images were probably taken sometime during the first four hours after landing.
|
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1390
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
|
posted 08-28-2014 10:21 AM
quote:
Originally posted by stsmithva:
...remember where they parked.
Steve, that was a good one. But seriously did Neil or Buzz take a good panorama after the EVA? |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 08-28-2014 01:56 PM
AS11-37-5449 is described as the "first picture taken by a person on another world" in this panoramic photo of the Apollo 11 landing site from the Astronomy Picture of the Day website.Rather noteworthy, I would say. What is the NASA description for AS11-37-5449? Does it mention that it is the first? The APOD pan also contains frames from different magazines. Is there a high-res panoramic photo of Magazine 37 frames 5449 to 5453?  |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 2123
From: Fairfax, VA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 05-31-2025 07:53 PM
After the discussion above, is there a consensus on what was the first photo taken by an Apollo 11 astronaut after landing on the lunar surface? I believe it is AS11-37-5449, which according to the Lunar Surface Journal is: View of lunar surface just after landing with a thruster on the foreground, seen towards the left/South through Neil's window. What was the first photo Neil Armstrong took upon stepping onto the lunar surface? And what was the first photo Armstrong took of Buzz Aldrin standing on the lunar surface? |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 06-01-2025 07:12 AM
There is a rather detailed discussion here in the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal of what the photo sequence taken from the Apollo 11 lunar module windows shortly after landing might have been. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 06-02-2025 07:49 AM
The Apollo 11 post-landing window photos were taken with two cameras: the IVA camera and the EVA camera. The EVA camera had a reseau plate. The IVA camera did not. The IVA camera stayed inside the LM.The above discussion mentions the oddity of frame 40-5849, the only frame on Magazine 40 that was taken with the IVA camera. Here is what frame 40-5849 looks like on the film strip from March To The Moon: 40-5850 (EVA camera, with reseau crosses)  40-5849 (IVA camera, no reseau crosses)  40-5848 (EVA camera, with reseau crosses)  |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3844
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 06-02-2025 04:56 PM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
There is a rather detailed discussion...
According to the Apollo 11 Final Flight Plan, the crew would carry out various safing procedures and make preparations in case they had to fire the ascent engine to leave the Moon prematurely. Assuming that wasn't necessary, about 43 minutes after landing, Armstrong would take six far-field images (50 feet focus) and then six near-field frames (20 feet focus). These were clearly not intended to be "tourist" pictures, but were proof of a successful landing in case of a subsequent emergency lift-off. In reality, the planned images were taken about one hour, 15 minutes after landing, perhaps suggesting the crew had more to do than expected before being able to think about taking photographs. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 06-02-2025 07:00 PM
The ALSJ mentions that at LM landing, Magazine 40 was on the EVA camera, and Magazine 37 was on the IVA camera. |
oly
Member Posts: 1496
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
|
posted 06-02-2025 07:45 PM
Information about where and when lunar surface photos were taken after the Apollo 11 landing are recorded in the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal for the Apollo 11 mission, as is a lot of the information being shared on this page.Pre-EVA Window Photos Apollo 11 Lunar Module Hasselblad Cameras and Magazines This would make this image (AS11-37-5449) to be the first taken by the Apollo 11 crew on the lunar surface: |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 06-02-2025 09:09 PM
That linked page was mentioned earlier in the thread. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 06-03-2025 07:53 AM
The Apollo 11 Photo Index didn't seem to catch that frame 40-5849 was taken with the IVA camera. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4138
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 06-03-2025 04:22 PM
Wikipedia has these mission elapsed times for the three photos in question. I don't know their source for those times. - 103:59:47 MET ... Magazine 37 ... frames 5449-5453
- 104:03:18 MET ... Magazine 39 ... frames 5737-5739
- 104:03:18 MET ... Magazine 40 ... frames 5847-5848
|
advertisement