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Lot 172
[Apollo 8] FIRST HUMAN VIEW OF THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY FROM LUNAR ORBIT William Anders, Frank Borman, or James Lovell [Apollo 8], 21-27 December 1968
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €435.20 inc. premium
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[Apollo 8] FIRST HUMAN VIEW OF THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY FROM LUNAR ORBIT
William Anders, Frank Borman, or James Lovell [Apollo 8], 21-27 December 1968
Printed 1968-1969.
Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS8-13-2344].
Numbered "NASA G-69-1119" in pencil in black in the lower margin (issued by NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, Greenbelt, Maryland).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
This spectacular oblique view reveals the mare surface of the Sea of Tranquillity, seen for the first time by human eyes from lunar orbit, underscoring the crew's crucial task of identifying a suitable landing site for a future Moon landing.
A key objective of Apollo 8 was to photograph potential landing areas for upcoming Apollo missions, particularly in the Sea of Tranquillity, where two possible sites had been identified. However, fogged spacecraft windows hampered William Anders' ability to capture detailed images of the sites, making this photograph, taken between orbits 5 and 7 using the 250mm telephoto lens looking northwest across the northeastern portion of the Sea of Tranquillity, the most valuable one obtained of the region. Despite the limitations, crew observations strongly favoured Apollo Landing Site 2 in the Sea of Tranquility—later chosen as the historic landing site for Apollo 11.
Printed 1968-1969.
Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS8-13-2344].
Numbered "NASA G-69-1119" in pencil in black in the lower margin (issued by NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, Greenbelt, Maryland).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
This spectacular oblique view reveals the mare surface of the Sea of Tranquillity, seen for the first time by human eyes from lunar orbit, underscoring the crew's crucial task of identifying a suitable landing site for a future Moon landing.
A key objective of Apollo 8 was to photograph potential landing areas for upcoming Apollo missions, particularly in the Sea of Tranquillity, where two possible sites had been identified. However, fogged spacecraft windows hampered William Anders' ability to capture detailed images of the sites, making this photograph, taken between orbits 5 and 7 using the 250mm telephoto lens looking northwest across the northeastern portion of the Sea of Tranquillity, the most valuable one obtained of the region. Despite the limitations, crew observations strongly favoured Apollo Landing Site 2 in the Sea of Tranquility—later chosen as the historic landing site for Apollo 11.
Footnotes
As described in the original NASA caption:
"The lower (nearest) linear feature is the Cauchy Scarp. The upper linear feature is the Cauchy Rille. The prominent Crater Cauchy lies between the rille and the scarp."
The 10–15 km-wide craters Taruntius F (lower left) and Taruntius E (lower left centre) are also visible. Coordinates: Cauchy Crater—Latitude 9.6°N, Longitude 38.6°E.
Crew Observations from Lunar Orbit:
During orbit 6, astronaut James Lovell confirmed the suitability of Apollo
Landing Site 2, reporting to Mission Control:
"I'm looking at IP-2 (proposed landing site 2) right now, Houston, and it's a great spot."
Anders, despite struggling with the smeared windows, remarked:
"The area we're over right now gives some hint of possible volcanic activity. There are some craters and build-ups that definitely suggest volcanic activity."
Mission Control acknowledged the significance of their observations, setting the stage for the first lunar landing just months later.
Literature
LIFE, 10 January 1969, pp. 20-21
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, May 1969, pp. 616-617
Additional information
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