"Picture of the Century" Lunar Orbiter II 

Darkroom Print

Published by NASA

Visible. 15 x 12 in., framed to 28 1/2 x 22 3/4 in. 

A remarkable photograph of the lunar surface, specifically featuring a mountains from the Carpathian mountains. The mountains in view, which raise up from the cratered surface of the moon, measure approximately 1000 feet high, with the largest one raising up 3000 feet high in total. The image was recorded on 24 November 1966, and taken from 28.4 miles above the Moon's surface. Captured as a part of the Lunar Orbiter II photography mission, images taken on this trip were accomplished with two bore-sighted film cameras, which allowed for high-resolution photographs of the Moon's surface. The mission’s camera system, developed by Eastman Kodak, exposed film aboard the spacecraft, processed it in flight, and scanned the negatives for electronic transmission back to Earth, where the signals were reconstructed as photographs. These images would help to determine the best landing spots for the impending Apollo missions which would be launched by NASA. 

A beautifully framed darkroom print of the infamous image which would have captivated public and scientific audiences alike. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[NASA, Space Exploration, Apollo Program] [Aviation, History of Flight, Airplanes, Aeronautics, Aeronautical Engineering, Aerospace]