Happy 50th Anniversary Moon Landing!
On This Day, Fifty Years Ago...*
Photo Credit: (NEIL ARMSTRONG VIA AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
FAST FACTS
ABOUT THE APOLLO 11
MOON LAUNCH & LANDING:
(& Debunking Myths)
1) *The LAUNCH happened on July 16, 1969:
Photo Credit: Associated Press
Apollo 11 Crew Members en route to Florida launch.
Photo Credit: NASA/Getty Images
VP Agnew & Pres. Johnson view the launch.
Photo Credit: NASA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Spectators view the Apollo 11 launch aboard the Saturn V rocket.
2) Can you name the THIRD Apollo 11 astronaut- besides Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin?
Photo Credit: NASA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Pictured Left to Right: Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins, Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr.
3) Do you know what day the Apollo 11 crew landed on the moon?
And who was the first astronaut off the space ship?
Photo Credit: NEIL ARMSTRONG/NASA VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
The LANDING occurred on July 20, 1969.
The first astronaut was Neil Armstrong, who took the above photograph of Buzz Aldrin descending down the ladder.
4) Why is the flag waving if there's no wind on the moon or in outer space?
Photo Credit: (NEIL ARMSTRONG VIA AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Because NASA KNEW there was no wind to hold up the flag- so it placed a rod in the top part of flag to ensure it was visible in the ultimate zero gravity photo opportunity. As for the rest of the flag "waving" - Neil Armstrong attributes this to the flag staff being in motion from being freshly staked into the moon as per his interview here.
5) Why were there no major impact 'footprints' or dust clouds from the shuttle's feet upon landing in the moon video footage?
The space shuttle did not descend at a 90 degree angle perpendicular to the ground like the Santa Baby shimmy down a chimney: It was actually traveling horizontally to avoid a crater the size of a football stadium (!), ergo the more subtle smaller "dust/ landing imprint."
6) What makes the angles and colors of the shadows inconsistent?
Well, it is THE MOON; a huge massive ball reflecting light from the sun, and photos also capture light reflecting off the earth, thus if you were playing on the surface of a giant sphere like disco ball- there would be distortions depending on what angle you stand according to Launius and Drabek-Maunder.
7) Are the flags still standing from the Apollo 11 and subsequent Apollo missions?
Photo Credit Here.
Photo captured by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (yes, as in LROC ; )
YES- For the most part that is: Buzz Aldrin reported the Apollo 11 flag being knocked down by the shuttle exhaust upon ascent departing the moon. However, modern footage shows shadows still surround the other flags planted from subsequent moon landings: Apollo 12, Apollo 16, Apollo 17.
8) What made Neil Armstrong think of the iconic phrase, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" upon setting foot on the moon, was it scripted?
No. It was in that moment Armstrong thought of the team of over 40,000 that made this mission possible, and that it was an incredible feat for all humans, not just the ones in the nation that launched him.
For Full interview, see below:
9) How was this iconic photo taken when no camera is seen in the reflection of Aldrin's helmet, and Armstrong's arms are not by his eyes to have taken it?
Photo Credit: (NEIL ARMSTRONG VIA AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
NASA built cameras into the chest of the astronauts space suits. Hence, the 'Hands Free' photojournalism (It's like they're rocket scientists who thought of everything; ).
10) Where are all the in stars outer space? Why are they not pictured?
The shutter speeds of the camera used were too fast to capture the faint light of stars, as per Emily Drabek-Maunder, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London. The higher shutter speeds were selected to ensure the photos were not over exposed from the moon's bright light (Again...they're rocket scientists, people; ).
11) Where was the victory parade of ticker tape held?
Photo Credit: NASA / Smithsonian
New York City.
Who was the happiest for the successful moon landing and return back to earth?
Probably the astronaut family members awaiting each update...
Photo Credit: Associated Press
Andy Aldrin, age 10, sits on a pile of wood in his Houston backyard as family members listen to updates of his father's (Buzz Aldrin) Apollo 11 moon landing.
Photo Credit: Ralph Morse / The Life Picture Collection / Getty
Pictured are: (at top, from left) the astronaut Michael Collins; his children, Mike, Kate, and Ann; and his wife, Pat; (at left) the astronaut Buzz Aldrin; his wife, Joan; and his children, Mike, Jan, and Andy; and (at right) the astronaut Neil Armstrong; his wife, Jan; and his sons, Ricky and Mark.
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