black and white photograph of the surface of the moon with rocks and snow
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91 - 1 - Photograph taken by Lunar Orbiter 2 of the famous 100-kilome…
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Estimate €610 - €800
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Description
Photograph taken by Lunar Orbiter 2 of the famous 100-kilometre crater known as Copernicus. This spectacular view has been dubbed ‘the image of the century’. Black-and-white photograph, 19 x 23 cm, vintage print on Kodak paper (Kodak paper mentioned on the reverse) with no information printed on the reverse. The oblique image was taken at around 23:05 GMT on 23 November, at an altitude of 45.9 kilometres above the lunar surface and 240 kilometres south of the famous crater. It reveals a crater three kilometres deep, cliffs reaching 900 metres in height and a series of central peaks spread over 16 kilometres, rising to between 450 and 600 metres above the crater floor. The photographs transmitted by Lunar Orbiter were crucial in determining the choice of future landing sites for the Apollo and Surveyor missions. LUNAR ORBITER PROGRAMME – Five Lunar Orbiter probes were launched between 10 August 1966 and 1 August 1967, with the aim of identifying potential landing sites for future Apollo missions. Orbiters I to III were designed to provide images of 20 potential landing sites and flew in low-inclination orbits.
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About the sale SPACE EXPLORATION AND AERONAUTICS: NASA photos, models, documents, etc.
Auction location
Auction time 07/09/2026 at 6:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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