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Lot #320
First Photo of Earth Taken by a Spacecraft

“First Photo of the Earth from the Moon, August 23, 1966”

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Estimate: $800+
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Description

“First Photo of the Earth from the Moon, August 23, 1966”

Incredible glossy 13.25 x 4.25 photo of the Earth with the lunar surface below, affixed to a 16.25 x 7.75 display mount bearing preprinted text, “First Photo of the Earth from the Moon, August 23, 1966, Lunar Orbiter 1, Distance from Earth 232,000 Mi, Altitude Above Moon 730 Mi.” Framed with a caption affixed to the reverse offering details on the historic photo. In fine condition, with a few light gouges to the images, and some faint foxing to the mount. This wonderful photograph by the customized high-resolution camera of the Lunar Orbiter I. The image shows a large area of the moon’s eastern edge marked by the presence of several massive craters—for reference, the largest such crater, pictured center and to the right of Earth, is roughly 140 miles across. Each picture taken by the Orbiter camera was read out at earth receiving stations as a series of 35mm strips of film, 16 inches long, which had to be edge-matched for a composite picture. An absorbing and historic piece of aeronautic and photographic history.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Autographs, Artifacts & Animation
  • Dates: #489 - Ended December 07, 2016