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Lot 180
[Apollo 8] FANTASTIC PARTIAL VIEW OF THE FULL MOON AS SEEN AFTER HUMANITY'S FIRST TRANS-EARTH INJECTION William Anders, 21-27 December 1968
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €512 inc. premium
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[Apollo 8] FANTASTIC PARTIAL VIEW OF THE FULL MOON AS SEEN AFTER HUMANITY'S FIRST TRANS-EARTH INJECTION
William Anders, 21-27 December 1968
Printed 1968.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS8-14-2485].
With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
Due to their arrival in the Moon's shadow, it was only at the start of their return journey on December 25, 1968, that the Apollo 8 crew witnessed the unprecedented sight of the Moon as a disk while gaining altitude after trans-Earth injection (TEI).
Had the engine failed, they would have been stranded in lunar orbit with no hope of rescue. Fortunately, the burn executed flawlessly, marking a triumphant moment in human space exploration, with James Lovell famously exclaiming, "Please be informed there is a Santa Claus." (see mission transcript).
William Anders captured this remarkable partial photograph of the nearly full Moon with a 250mm telephoto lens, revealing features of both the lunar nearside and far side.
"Once that rocket worked and got us to lunar orbit, then it had to work again, or we were stuck."
—William Anders (Voices, Chaikin, p. 42)
Printed 1968.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS8-14-2485].
With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
Due to their arrival in the Moon's shadow, it was only at the start of their return journey on December 25, 1968, that the Apollo 8 crew witnessed the unprecedented sight of the Moon as a disk while gaining altitude after trans-Earth injection (TEI).
Had the engine failed, they would have been stranded in lunar orbit with no hope of rescue. Fortunately, the burn executed flawlessly, marking a triumphant moment in human space exploration, with James Lovell famously exclaiming, "Please be informed there is a Santa Claus." (see mission transcript).
William Anders captured this remarkable partial photograph of the nearly full Moon with a 250mm telephoto lens, revealing features of both the lunar nearside and far side.
"Once that rocket worked and got us to lunar orbit, then it had to work again, or we were stuck."
—William Anders (Voices, Chaikin, p. 42)
Footnotes
The eastern portion (right) contains features which were unkwown until recently before the mission and were still unnamed. In the western portion (left), the Sea of Crises and just below it the Sea of Tranquillity predominate. Near the center the smaller Border Sea and Smyth's Sea are in sharp contrast to the surrounding terrain.
From the mission transcript following the successful trans Earth ignition over the lunar farside:
089:34:16 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8, over.
089:34:19 Mattingly (Mission Control): Hello, Apollo 8. Loud and clear.
089:34:25 Lovell: Roger. Please be informed there is a Santa Claus.
089:34:31 Mattingly: That's affirmative. You're the best ones to know.
089:34:37 Lovell: And burn status report: it burned on time; Burn time, 2 minutes, 23 seconds; seven-tenths plus VGX. Attitude nominal, residuals; minus five-tenths VGX, plus four-tenths VGY, minus 0 VGZ; Delta-VC, minus 26.4.
089:35:14 Mattingly: Roger.
089:35:19 Mattingly: Apollo Flight has...
089:35:23 Mattingly: Apollo 8, reconfirm your burn time, please.
089:35:30 Lovell: Roger. We had 2 minutes, 23 seconds. Our - wait one. Stand corrected to that; 3 minutes, 23 seconds.
089:35:43 Mattingly: Thank you. [Long pause.]
This is Mission Control, Houston. Flight Dynamics Officer says that burn is good.
089:36:33 Borman: You get the sensation that you're climbing, Ken.
089:36:35 Mattingly: Say again, Apollo 8.
089:36:41 Borman: I say, this gives you the sensation that you're climbing.
089:36:47 Mattingly: Rog.
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