Neil Armstrong (American, 1930-2012), Buzz Aldrin (American, b. 1930), or Michael Collins (American, b. 1930)
Full Moon seen during the return flight to Earth, Apollo 11, July 1969. Numbered 'NASA AS11-44-6665' in red on the recto u.l. margin, NASA MSC caption on the verso. Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper with 'A Kodak Paper' watermark on the verso, image size 7 1/8 x 7 in. (18.0 x 17.5 cm), unmatted.
Condition: Subtle circular matte area l.c.
N.B. A view of the full Moon never seen before the space age and showing parts of its face hidden to Earth's viewers as the spacecraft was already 10,000 nautical miles from the Moon. 'As the astronauts begin the long fall back to Earth, they have a view of a full Moon centered on a point between Mare Crisium and Mare Fecunditatis. At this moment, people in and around the Pacific Basin on Earth (for example, in Los Angeles) were seeing a half moon' (ALSJ: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/JK-ApAn-44-6665-67.html). Twenty-four Apollo astronauts were the only men in history to witness such views of the Moon, in a perspective different than from Earth, from December 1968 to December 1972. 'It really does appear that there are three different Moons. One that you're on, one that you're in orbit of, and one that's a long way away. And they don't blend, and you don't get the transition. There was only one exception to it, and that was shortly after we left the Moon, heading back to Earth, after we made the burn and it was okay. Then we could orient and look back and watch it grow smaller, from the back side...And that was the only time when we were really allowed to experience the change,' said Buzz Aldrin (Chaikin, Voices, p. 119).
Literature: Thomas, p. 210.
Estimate $600-800
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