2026-09-12
Apollo 11: Catching Some Sun
Another stunning view from the cosmos: Apollo 11: Catching Some Sun. NASA explains:
Why this matters
Today's view is a window onto the Moon, the ISS, the night sky. Images like this aren't just beautiful — they're how astronomers measure distance, motion and the deep history of the universe, turning faint light into hard data.
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The science, from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day
Bright sunlight glints as long dark shadows mark this image of the surface of the Moon. It was taken on July 20, 1969, by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the lunar surface. Pictured is the mission's lunar module, the Eagle, and spacesuited lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin is unfurling a long sheet of foil also known as the Solar Wind Composition Experiment. Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped particles streaming outward in the solar wind, catching a sample of material from the Sun itself. Along with 22 kilograms of moon rocks and lunar soil samples, the solar wind collector was returned for analysis in earthbound laboratories. APOD's main NASA site is moving: From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod
Source: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (public domain)
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