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Lot 415
[Apollo 16] STUNNING SUNSET HORIZON ABOVE THE FAR SIDE HIGHLANDS: high-resolution metric camera view NASA, 16-27 April 1972
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €307.20 inc. premium
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[Apollo 16] STUNNING SUNSET HORIZON ABOVE THE FAR SIDE HIGHLANDS: high-resolution metric camera view
NASA, 16-27 April 1972
Printed 1972.
Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS16-M-0729].
With NASA metric camera ID number "0729" written on the reverse (issued by NASA).
23 x 23 cm. (9 x 9 in.)
Historical context
The untamed beauty of the Moon's most remote terrain.
This rare and unreleased high-resolution photograph captures the mesmerizing lunar horizon at sunset in exceptional detail. Taken from an altitude of 116 km, the view looks north over the rugged far side highlands, with Crater Kohlshütter at its Centre. The image was acquired during Apollo 16's 27th lunar revolution using the automatic Fairchild metric camera, mounted in the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay of the Endeavour Service Module and operated by Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly.
With its 3-inch focal length, the metric camera provided an unparalleled perspective on the Moon's dramatic topography, crucial for geological mapping. The sun, positioned at a 15° elevation, casts long shadows that emphasize the depth and complexity of the cratered landscape. This striking high-resolution view (11.6° N / 154.7° E) showcases the immense scale of the rugged far side highlands, revealing intricate surface textures with striking detail.
"The last three Apollo missions carried large-format high resolution cameras which enabled the surface of the Moon to be photographed with a precision never before attempted. To those used to the best that Earthbound telescopes can produce through the distortions of our atmosphere, results like this image are a revelation. Craters of very small size can be seen, and this is particularly valuable as much of this image is of the far side of the Moon, which never faces Earth".
Space and photography historian H.J.P. Arnold (Arnold, plate 39)
Printed 1972.
Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image AS16-M-0729].
With NASA metric camera ID number "0729" written on the reverse (issued by NASA).
23 x 23 cm. (9 x 9 in.)
Historical context
The untamed beauty of the Moon's most remote terrain.
This rare and unreleased high-resolution photograph captures the mesmerizing lunar horizon at sunset in exceptional detail. Taken from an altitude of 116 km, the view looks north over the rugged far side highlands, with Crater Kohlshütter at its Centre. The image was acquired during Apollo 16's 27th lunar revolution using the automatic Fairchild metric camera, mounted in the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay of the Endeavour Service Module and operated by Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly.
With its 3-inch focal length, the metric camera provided an unparalleled perspective on the Moon's dramatic topography, crucial for geological mapping. The sun, positioned at a 15° elevation, casts long shadows that emphasize the depth and complexity of the cratered landscape. This striking high-resolution view (11.6° N / 154.7° E) showcases the immense scale of the rugged far side highlands, revealing intricate surface textures with striking detail.
"The last three Apollo missions carried large-format high resolution cameras which enabled the surface of the Moon to be photographed with a precision never before attempted. To those used to the best that Earthbound telescopes can produce through the distortions of our atmosphere, results like this image are a revelation. Craters of very small size can be seen, and this is particularly valuable as much of this image is of the far side of the Moon, which never faces Earth".
Space and photography historian H.J.P. Arnold (Arnold, plate 39)