Wow - are those wrinkle ridges in that picture Phil? If so, does this indicate that this volcanic flow was more viscous than those we typically see on the Moon?

Here's a rough attempt at generating an overhead view:

Sterling work as usual Gordan!

That is simply amazing Bjorn!

This must be the picture you're referring to, Ilbasso - it's from the ALSJ 'Fun Images' section:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/...j.hollywood.jpg

Oh no, I can see Ed lying on the floor - I hope he's not in a comma...

I think we'd better bring this discussion to a full-stop...

I am delighted to be able to add one of my own images to this thread; namely my mosaic of the Apollo 15 landing site. Tony Reichhardt of Air & Space Magazine has written a piece detailing the recent photographic survey of Hadley Rille and its environs by the Japanese Kaguya probe:

http://www.airspacemag.com/space-explorati..._Revisited.html

Tony contacted me and kindly asked if he could use the mosaic in his article, which I readily agreed to in an instant:

http://www.airspacemag.com/photos?c=y&...9884&page=4

This is the second post-landing view from Apollo 17; this time looking out of the LMP's window:

Phil and Doug -

I've decided to start a new thread dedicated purely to Apollo images and related discussion:

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...ic=5160&hl=

Phil, I didn't realise that the next edition of your lunar atlas wouldn't be out for another ten years. What with Kaguya and LRO coming up, it may have to be a two-volume second edition!

Doug, I think it's a great shame that the DAC was removed from the Apollo 17 surface operations. 16mm film of the rover deployment and traverses between stations could have been some of the greatest footage shot during Apollo. Also, it's a great shame that the Apollo 12 ascent sequence didn't get recorded, even though it very likely wouldn't have had Surveyor in the field of view anyway.

Ian.

I'd also like to add my voice to those who have been congratulating NASA and JPL for last night's wonderful achievement.

This Apollo 15 composite shows how the landing site appeared in both the descent and ascent movies.



The red arrow points out the crater the LM Falcon partially landed in, giving the lander a significant tilt to the south.

This view of Surveyor 3 consists of two images that were aligned and merged to increase detail and reduce noise. The photographs were taken during the first Apollo 12 EVA, and show a surprising amount of detail, including the mast supporting the solar panels and the TV camera:

This multi-frame Apollo 17 mosaic shows the post-landing view out of Gene Cernan's window. The magnificent South Massif dominates the scene:

This two-frame mosaic shows Gene Cernan inside the LM Challenger after the end of the third Apollo 17 EVA. The stowed suits and helmets are visible on the left, on top of the ascent stage engine cover.



(Based on the original version by Erik van Meijgaarden)

Apollo 11 Descent Mosaic:

This mosaic consists of two frames taken from the DAC footage of Eagle's descent to the lunar surface, just seconds prior to landing. The blue silhouette shows the final landing position of the LM, and the surface visible in this view is where Armstrong and Aldrin planted the US flag, solar wind collector and TV camera during the EVA.

Apollo 11:

The DAC was not started until after LM pitchover, but the first frame of film exposed did manage to capture the northern-most part of Tranquility Base, including the boulder field (not resolved) and craters visible out of Aldrin's window on the surface.

Lunar Orbiter view:


DAC frame:

Apollo 15:



Apollo 16:



Apollo 17:



The LRV is visible in the Apollo 16 frame, but just out of view in both the 15 and 17 mosaics.

I've decided to start a new thread dedicated to the Apollo program, and I shall start the ball rolling by posting an assortment of mosaics and other images that I have been working on during the past few months.

LM ASCENT MOSAICS:

Apollo 14:



Turtle Rock and Station H are clearly visible, as are the tracks leading up to the ALSEP. Compare to the lunar orbiter view:

Thanks Phil! Based on your compliment/suggestion, I'll happily submit the mosaic to Chuck for possible inclusion in the LPOD. In addition, I have a PNG version you're welcome to have should you fancy using it in the next vesion of your lunar atlas.

In the meantime, here are similar views for Apollos 16 and 17:

Apollo 16 (crop of a single frame):



Apollo 17 (mosaic of two frames):



The LRV is visible in the Apollo 16 frame, but frustratingly just out of view in the 17 mosaic.

Ian.

This new image can also be compared to a mosaic I made a while back of the landing site using stills from the Apollo 15 ascent footage:

I've had a colonoscopy before, which was more or less a total breeze, except that the laxative I'd taken beforehand hadn't fully worked...

However, the proctoscopy the previous week was FAR worse, especially since I was fully conscious while the doctor inflated my lower intestine with air (just like a balloon). Took me hours to get all of that air out afterwards...

Speaking of the Apollo 11 ascent film...

Upon reviewing the Apollo 11 DAC footage on the wonderful Spacecraft Films boxed set, I discovered something rather interesting about the
lunar ascent sequence.

As we all know, Aldrin was late in starting the camera, so both the moment of liftoff and the subsequent ascent stage pitch-over are
sadly absent from the footage. However, in comparing the first properly exposed frame of the ascent film with a Lunar Orbiter
photograph of the landing site, I realised that the northern-most portion of Tranquility Base is visible, with the descent stage
frustratingly just out of view, hidden behind the hull of the spacecraft.

Here is the photograph of the Apollo 11 landing site taken by Lunar Orbiter V:

http://img339.imageshack.us/my.php?image=a...dingsitemy1.jpg

The green 'X' indicates the location where Eagle landed. Just to the south-west is the double-crater that was visible out of Neil's
window. To the east is the small crater that Neil visited during the EVA ('East Crater').

Now compare the Lunar Orbiter view to the first properly exposed frame of the Apollo 11 ascent DAC footage, rotated so that North is
up:

http://img341.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dacliftoffrc0.jpg

The large, shallow crater to the left, and the smaller, sharper craters that it contains, are the most obvious features that link
these two views. The green 'X' this time indicates the location of the descent stage. Some of the craters in this DAC view may be
visible in the photographs that Buzz shot out of his window prior to and after the EVA.

In conclusion, it appears that the sequence camera was activated right after pitch-over, far earlier than I had previously assumed.

Ian.

Doug,

I don't own Aldrin's book 'Return To Earth', but according to the following post on the sci.space.history newsgroup, it's in that book that Buzz attributes the flag falling to the RCS hot fire test:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/sci.space...7dc973bbfc9d772

Speaking of the hot fire tests, Al Bean filmed the effects of the Apollo 12 thruster test on the lunar surface with the DAC. Although the footage is very grainy and out-of-focus, it's nonetheless quite interesting to watch.

Ian.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the Apollo 11 flag was knocked over by the RCS hot-fire testing that was conducted prior to launch.

Ian.